Tag: Jorbit Vivas

Yankees MILB 7/27: Josh Grosz Dominates

News:

Nothing to report.

Just kidding.

The Yankees acquired IF/OF Jazz Chisholm Jr. from the Marlins today for three prospects – C/1B Agustin Ramirez, 2B/SS Jared Serna, and IF Abrahan Ramirez.

The most significant prospect is Agustin Ramirez, who blossomed into arguably the best Yankees minor league bat over the past two seasons. Between Somerset and Scranton this season, he hit .269/.358/.504 (136 wRC+) with 17 doubles, 20 home runs, and 69 RBI over 386 plate appearances. His numbers were suppressed by a tough start after his promotion, but he is on an 8-game hitting streak that improved his Triple-A triple slash to .224/.328/.364. His profile points to a player who could be an above-average MLB bat. His future position (Catcher? First base? DH?) remains a question. If you are a 1B/DH long-term, the offensive bar increases accordingly.

The Yankees like to target smallish infielders who require smallish bonuses on the international market. That description fits Serna, who stands only 5’7″. He packs a punch in his frame, given his .253/.341/.444 (120 wRC+) line in 393 plate appearances for High-A Hudson Valley this season. Like Ramirez, he doesn’t strike out much (15.3%). Serna’s future position is clearly defined. While he has played a lot of shortstop with the Yankees, most experts point to him as a second baseman long-term.

Most of these trades usually include a lottery ticket. That is where Abrahan Ramirez comes in. Only 19 years old, the infielder hit .348/.447/.513 (161 wRC+) in 189 plate appearances for the FCL squad this season. It was his first taste of the level after spending 60 games in the DSL between 2022 and 2023. While his stats are impressive, there is a long way to go before he is a viable prospect, never mind a viable MLB player.

By the way, Agustin Ramirez was on the 40-man roster while Serna is Rule 5 eligible for the second straight winter.

As for Chisholm, he isn’t a “perfect” player. However, any notion that he doesn’t improve a team is wrong. For Miami, he hit .249/.323/.407 (104 wRC+) with 13 home runs and 22 stolen bases. His 24.9% K rate is above the MLB average but shows improvement over previous seasons. While the Marlins have forced him into CF duty the past two seasons, his versatility should be useful. If he can handle CF, he should be able to handle the corners along with his experience at 2B. I wouldn’t be shocked if he is playable at SS and 3B. The Yankees must be creative in their usage if no other moves are made.

I don’t know how many times Yankees fans have complained about the Yankees needing versatility, athleticism, and speed. Chisholm provides that. Again, he’s not a perfect player. Not many are. Does he fit with the Yankees? I think so.

Bottom Line:

I am not giving this trade five stars out of five. It’s not an obvious, no-brainer. Not many trades are.

However, the Yankees acquired a good player with breakout potential and 2.5 years of control to reach that potential. I don’t think you can say “No” to that. Will it work? Time will tell.

As for the Marlins, I like their return. They received three legitimate prospects, one of whom has a Top 100 level bat. That’s the cost of doing business.

If I was the Yankees’ GM and this deal was offered to me, I would say “Yes.” That is how I have to judge it.

Scranton (56-44) (Defeated Worcester, 9-7, in 11 innings)

CF Brandon Lockridge: 4-for-6, RBI, 3 RS, SB (31), K
.298/.401/.386 in 254 PA (15 doubles, 2 triples, 0 HR, 32 RBI, 37 R, 31-for-35 SB). He is 11-for-22 during his 5-game hitting streak.
2B Jorbit Vivas: 2-for-6, 2B (7), RBI, 3 RS, SB (12), K
Vivas is 5-for-14 with a double, 4 RBI, 5 runs, and 3 stolen bases in his last three games. He was slumping for a while but is back on track.
3B Oswald Peraza: 3-for-5, HR (3), 3 RBI, RS, SB (14), HBP
Peraza walked it off with a 2-run homer. He is hitting .239/.345/.318 in 236 PA. He is 21-for-76 (.276) in July with two home runs. He has three 3-hit games this month.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-5, 2B (17), 2 RBI
Rumfield is 16-for-61 (.262) in July with 3 doubles, 3 HR, and 10 RBI this month.
C J.C. Escarra: 0-for-4, HBP, 2 K
SS Kevin Smith: 1-for-5, RS, 2 K
RF Taylor Trammell: 1-for-4, 2B (14), BB
LF Aaron Palensky: 0-for-4, SAC, 3 K
Palensky’s first Triple-A game this season (played 9 games here in 2023)
DH Josh VanMeter: 0-for-3, RS, SB (3), 2 BB, K

RHP Duane Underwood Jr.: 1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Scranton went with a bullpen game tonight. That is an understatement.
RHP Art Warren: 1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
LHP Oddanier Mosqueda: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, HR
3.81 ERA (49.2 IP, 32 H, 25 R, 21 ER, 5 HR, 27 BB, 62 K). This ends his 10-game scoreless streak.
RHP Phil Bickford: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Scott Effross: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
For Scranton: 11.1 IP, 13 H, 9 R, 8 ER, 2 HR, 4 BB, 10 K
RHP Ron Marinaccio: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Yerry De Los Santos: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
LHP Victor Gonzalez (W, 3-0): 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K

Somerset (48-47) (Lost to Portland, 3-0)

CF Spencer Jones: 0-for-3, CS (5), BB, K
.234/.317/.400 in 369 PA. He is 11-for-67 (.164) in July with 8 walks and 34 strikeouts. He has at least one strikeout in ten straight games.
C Rafael Flores: 1-for-2, 2 BB
Taking walks is a part of Flores’ game (12 in 109 PA since his promotion (11%) and 14.6% overall)
1B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-4, 3 K
DH Elijah Dunham: 1-for-3, BB, K
LF Grant Richardson: 0-for-4, 3 K
RF Jared Wegner: 0-for-2, CS (5), HBP, K
2B Anthony Seigler: 0-for-3
SS Alexander Vargas: 0-for-3, K
3B Max Burt: 0-for-3, K

RHP Zach Messinger: (L, 2-8) 6 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
3.76 ERA (107.2 IP, 88 H, 62 R, 45 ER, 7 HR, 36 BB, 106 K). Messinger might be the most snakebit pitcher in professional baseball history. He carries a decent 4.12 minor league ERA over 73 games (55 starts). His record? 4-26.
RHP Danny Watson: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Last 7 appearances: 6.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
RHP Joey Gerber: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Colby White: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
White can strike hitters out (190 in 129.2 career IP). Walks have been an issue, including 27 in 26 IP this season.

Hudson Valley (45-48) (Lost to Wilmington, 2-1)

2B Roc Riggio: 1-for-4, 2B (17)
.226/.356/.394 in 332 PA (17 doubles, 4 triples, 7 HR, 28 RBI, 52 R, 17-for-22 SB). 
CF Jace Avina: 0-for-4, 3 K
DH Omar Martinez: 0-for-3, BB, K
.235/.370/.408 in 319 PA (17.2% BB, 22.9% K)
C Antonio Gomez: 1-for-4, 2B (3), RS, 2 K
1B Josh Moylan: 1-for-3, K
LF Christopher Familia: 0-for-2, SF, RBI
RF Cole Gabrielson: 0-for-3, 2 K
SS Brenny Escanio: 0-for-3, K
3B Beau Brewer: 0-for-3, K

RHP Cam Schlittler (L, 5-4): 7 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, HR
2.64 ERA (81.2 IP, 54 H, 33 R, 24 ER, 7 HR, 37 BB, 99 K). This is the longest outing in his brief professional career.
RHP Luis Arejula: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
2.97 ERA (39.1 IP, 33 H, 18 R, 13 ER, 2 HR, 21 BB, 37 K)

Tampa (39-54) (Swept a doubleheader against Clearwater. They are playing better in the second half, as they are 15-12 and in the playoff race)

Game 1 (Won, 4-3, in 9 innings. They walked it off on a combination of events, none of which were pretty)

DH George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-4, BB, 2 K
SS Roderick Arias: 0-for-4, K
3B Dylan Jasso: 2-for-4, RS
LF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-3, 2 RBI, 2 K
It is a big 2-run single for Castillo, who continues his impressive campaign.
CF Willy Montero: 0-for-3, RS, BB, K
2B Hans Montero: 0-for-4, K
1B Coby Morales: 0-for-3, RS, 2 K
C Tomas Frick: 2-for-3, 2B (11)
   PH Josue Gonzalez: 0-for-0, BB
RF Daury Arias: 0-for-4, RS, K

RHP Josh Grosz: 7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K
4.19 ERA (73 IP, 69 H, 47 R, 34 ER, 9 HR, 27 BB, 93 K). He had a tough time in an emergency start for Somerset on 6/23. Since coming back: 0.397 ERA (22.2 IP, 11 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 25 K). That is dominance. Grosz throws primarily 4-seamers and sliders while mixing in a change.
RHP Matt Givin: 1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
Givin (25) has missed most of the season due to injury. He is not technically here on a rehab stint, but that is what it is.
RHP Ocean Gabonia (W, 3-2): 1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
3.88 ERA (48.2 IP, 46 H, 25 R, 21 ER, 4 HR, 12 BB, 55 K)

Game 2 (Won, 2-1)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 2-for-2, 2B (17), RS, HBP
Lombard Jr. has a .237/.708 OPS line. He owns a pair of 2-hit efforts in his last three games (five in his last ten games).
DH Roderick Arias: 1-for-3, RBI, 2 K
Arias is at .223 with a .687 OPS.
3B Dylan Jasso: 0-for-3, K
LF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-2, BB
CF Willy Montero: 1-for-3, 3B (2), RS, K
2B Hans Montero: 1-for-2, RBI, BB, K
Montero brings in Montero for the winning run in the bottom of the 6th.
C Josue Gonzalez: 0-for-3, 2 K
1B Coby Morales: 0-for-1, CS (3), 2 BB
RF Daury Arias: 0-for-3, K

RHP Cade Smith: 5.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
3.48 ERA (82.2 IP, 56 H, 38 R, 32 ER, 38 BB, 109 K). Smith, their 2023 6th-round pick out of Mississippi State, is one of their most consistent 2024 performers. He is more of a mix guy than an overpowering type, but that is fine. We’ll see how it translates as he moves up.
RHP Aaron Nixon: (W, 3-2)  1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

FCL (35-22) (Lost Game 1 to the Pirates, 4-3. The semi-finals are best-of-3)

CF Brando Mayea: 1-for-4, RS, BB, 2 K
Mayea took his share of walks and hit .281 in 35 games. He didn’t homer but don’t read into that. The power can come later. For example, Oswald Peraza hit one home run in 94 rookie league games. Three years later, he hit 18 as a 21-year-old in full-season leagues.
1B Engelth Urena: 2-for-4, 2B (1), RBI, BB
It wouldn’t surprise me if the Marlins asked about Urena as the “lottery ticket”. Urena is impressive – he might be the next Agustin Ramirez-like riser. 
RF Joel Mendez: 1-for-3, 2B (1), RS, BB
3B-SS Santiago Gomez: 2-for-3, K

RHP Carlos Lagrange: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K
Making the playoffs allowed Lagrange to add to his innings total. He needs more, given the late start to his campaign.
RHP Chris Kean: 2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
I expect Kean to go to Tampa once the FCL squad is done. He’s 22 years old and dominated during the regular season (1.31 ERA in 20.2 IP with a 27/3 K/BB).

DSL Yankees (13-25) (Defeated the DSL Bombers, 6-3. They are playing playoff spoiler against their own organization mates!)

SS Dexters Peralta: 2-for-3, 3B (1), RS, 2 SB (18), CS (3), K
.226/.299/.304 with 18 stolen bases in 21 attempts. The triple slash may not jump out at you, but he just turned 17 years old.
3B Richard Matic: 0-for-0, 2 RS, SB (3), 2 BB
C Justin Capellan: 1-for-3, 2B (4), 4 RBI
Capellan’s first career multi-RBI game.
RF Louis Pierre: 0-for-1, RS, 2 SB (10), CS (2), 2 BB, K

RHP Jorge Luna: 4.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
1.65 ERA (32.2 IP, 21 H, 11 R, 6 ER, 1 HR, 15 BB, 37 K)
LHP Ronald Tejada (W, 3-0): 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
1.42 ERA (19 IP, 12 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 HR, 8 BB, 16 K). It is the 17-year-old’s debut season.

DSL Bombers (22-17) (Lost to the DSL Yankees, 6-3)

CF Francisco Vilorio: 0-for-4, 2 K
SS Kevin Verde: 1-for-2, 2B (7), 2 RS, SB (9), BB
The 18-year-old has 16 doubles and 17 stolen bases in 55 DSL games.

LHP Jose Ledesma: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K

Yankees MILB 7/26: Agustin Ramirez is Heating Up

News:

Infielder Caleb Durbin returned to Somerset yesterday. Infielder Ben Cowles is heading to the injured list for Somerset today.

Cowles, who was HBP last night, is having a breakout season while playing three positions (2B/SS/3B). He is hitting .294/.376/.472 (140 wRC+) in 378 PA with 9 home runs, 51 RBI, 52 runs scored, and 14 stolen bases in 16 attempts. He owns a 10.3% BB and 17.7%. In 2023, he struck out at a 23.7% clip. With the MLB infield in flux, one could see him as an option for at least a utility role sometime in 2025.

Infielder Enmanuel Tejeda was moved to the full-season injured list for Tampa. Darn. Tejeda will finish the season with a .310/.353/.369 (108 wRC+) line for Low-A Tampa with a homer, 18 RBI, and 24 stolen bases in 28 attempts.

OF Jasson Dominguez was activated today and assigned to Scranton. It isn’t a rehab assignment on paper, but it is in reality.

Scranton (55-44) (Defeated Worcester, 8-5)

DH Jasson Dominguez: 1-for-4, 2 RBI, HBP, 2 K
A good enough return for Dominguez. When will he be back with the Yankees? Let’s get him through a week or so of games before we speculate.
SS Oswald Peraza: 1-for-5, 4 K
2B Jorbit Vivas: 2-for-5, 2 RBI, RS, 2 SB (11), K
Hopefully, Vivas is heating up again. He has 12 stolen bases total this year after stealing 25 last season. The ability to steal bases could get lost in his profile, but it’s in his toolbox.
C Agustin Ramirez: 2-for-4, RBI, RS, 2 K
Ramirez has an 8-game hitting streak (11-for-34; .324). He is also on a 5-game RBI streak (hasn’t relied on a home run for any of the RBI)
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-5, RS, 2 K
CF Brandon Lockridge: 2-for-4, 2B (15), RS, 2 K
LF J.C. Escarra: 2-for-3, 2 2B (3), 2 RBI, RS, BB, K
Escarra is on a heater since his promotion (10-for-20, 3 doubles, 5 RBI). He is a left-handed bat who can play some positions, including catcher. 
3B Kevin Smith: 2-for-4, 2 RS, K
RF Taylor Trammell: 1-for-4, 2B (13), RBI, RS, K

LHP Tanner Tully: 4.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP Alex Mauricio: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
LHP Chasen Shreve: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
RHP Jack Neely (W, 1-0): 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Since promotion: 0.93 ERA (9.2 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 HR, 4 BB, 12 K). Neely should be on the list of possible reinforcements, but the Yankees are going to look for relievers with more experience. That’s fine, too.
LHP Anthony Misiewicz: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
LHP Tim Mayza (S, 1): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Somerset (48-46) (Lost to Portland, 3-0)

DH Caleb Durbin: 0-for-3, SB (2), BB
Durbin has stolen bases in back-to-back games and is 22-for-24 in 50 games this season. His ability to run should not be underestimated.
CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-4, 2B (15), 2 K
Jones’ 50th career double (222 games). I am honest: I can’t read who he is. I don’t think anyone knows what he will be.
C Jesus Rodriguez: 0-for-2, CS (1), BB,K
   PH-C Juan Crisp: 0-for-1, K
Rodriguez’s rehab will allow Crisp to get a little playing time.
1B Rafael Flores: 1-for-4, 2 K
3B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-4, 2 K
LF Elijah Dunham: 0-for-4, 2 K
RF Grant Richardson: 0-for-1, 2 BB
2B Anthony Seigler: 0-for-3
SS Alexander Vargas: 1-for-3
Vargas has a 5-game hitting streak (7-for-18).

RHP Bailey Dees: (L, 4-6)  6 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, HR
Dees is over the 100-inning mark. Season: 4.28 ERA (101 IP, 85 H, 53 R, 48 ER, 15 HR, 37 BB, 104 K). It isn’t a perfect stat line, but it is his first year as a starter. I am happy with what I see.
RHP Jesus Liranzo: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Eric Reyzelman: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Since promotion: 8.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 4 BB, 13 K. He is an impressive relief prospect.

Hudson Valley (45-47) (Lost to Wilmington, 5-2)

CF Jace Avina: 1-for-4, RS
SS Jared Serna: 2-for-3, 2 2B (26), CS (8), BB
Serna has three doubles and a homer in his last four games, increasing his triple slash to .253/.341/.444. His 26 doubles rank second in the league. He is only 11-for-19 stealing bases after going 29-for-37 last year.
C Omar Martinez: 0-for-3, BB
DH Antonio Gomez: 1-for-4, RBI
Gomez is 9-for-60 since joining Hudson Valley.
1B Josh Moylan: 1-for-4, HR (5), RBI, RS, K
Moylan has an impressive 14.4% BB rate and has homered in two of his last three games. If the power starts to show up, the Yankees could have an interesting prospect who has played both infield corners.
RF Garrett Martin: 0-for-3, BB, K
3B Kiko Romero: 0-for-3, K
LF Anthony Hall: 0-for-3, K
2B Brenny Escanio: 0-for-3

RHP Blane Abeyta: (L, 1-2)  5 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 2 HR
LHP Joel Valdez: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
3.02 ERA (44.2 IP, 29 H, 19 R, 15 ER, 2 HR, 21 BB, 53 K). 
RHP Harrison Cohen: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

Tampa (37-54) (Defeated Clearwater, 7-6)

2B George Lombard Jr.: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, RS, 2 SB (28), K
One of his hits was a “Little League home run.” He is 28-for-32 stealing bases.
SS Roderick Arias: 0-for-4, 3 K
1B Dylan Jasso: 1-for-4, K
CF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-1, 2 RS, 3 SB (16), 3 BB, K
Castillo’s first career multi-stolen base game. He is 16-for-20 in that category this season and has an .800 OPS/17.5% BB.
RF Willy Montero: 1-for-3, RS, BB, K
3B Hans Montero: 1-for-3, 2 RBI, RS, BB
C Josue Gonzalez: 1-for-3, RS
LF Coby Morales: 0-for-2, RBI, RS, BB
DH Tomas Frick: 0-for-2, SF, RBI, 2 K

RHP Chase Hampton: 3.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
Hampton topped out at 93.9 MPH (averaged 91.7) as he mixed in all his pitches. I doubt he will be in Tampa much longer.
RHP Yoljeldriz Diaz: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
Diaz was promoted today from the FCL (he had an earlier stint with Tampa this year)
RHP Osiel Rodriguez: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, HR
2.51 ERA (46.2 IP, 24 H, 14 R, 13 ER, 7 HR, 24 BB, 56 K). The home run ball has haunted him this year.
RHP Jordy Luciano (W, 2-3): 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Luis Pacheco (S, 1): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
The Yankees signed the 25-year-old on June 11th (he made 6 appearances in the FCL before being promoted). He hadn’t pitched in an affiliated league since his 2019 stint with the Phillies’ GCL squad. Over the last several years, he has toiled in the Independent/Mexican/Winter leagues. According to Savant, he dialed it up to 96.4 with the 4-seamer and 96.1 with his sinker.

FCL (35-22)

The playoffs begin tomorrow against the Pirates. It’s been rainy/stormy lately, so I hope they can get these playoffs in without interruption.

DSL Yankees (12-25) (Split two games with DSL Mets Orange)

Game 1 (Won, 9-2. This was the conclusion of a game started on 7/19)

SS Dexters Peralta: 3-for-5, HR (1), 2 RBI, RS, CS (2)
The 17-year-old’s (he started the season as a 16-year-old) first professional home run.
CF Gabriel Lara: 2-for-3, RBI, 2 RS, BB, SB (10)
LF Isael Arias: 2-for-3, RBI, RS, SB (7), HBP
DH Louis Pierre: 0-for-1, RBI, BB
  PH-DH Niurby Asigen: 1-for-1, RS, 2 SB (6)

RHP Jorge Luna: 4 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
1.59 ERA (28.1 IP, 18 H, 10 R, 5 ER, 1 HR, 14 BB, 31 K)
RHP Oscar Vasquez (W, 2-1): 2.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP Rafael Arias: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Game 2 (Lost, 7-4)

SS Dexters Peralta: 0-for-3, RS, BB, K
He is hitting .214/.290/.277 in 124 PA with 16 stolen bases in 18 attempts.
CF Gabriel Lara: 0-for-2, RS, SB (11), BB, 2 K
.202/.316/.274 in 98 PA (11-for-14 SB)
2B Geyber Blanco: 2-for-4, 2B (5), 2 RBI, K

RHP Emanuel Vargas: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, HR

DSL Bombers (22-16) (Lost to the DSL Rockies, 9-1)

CF Francisco Vilorio: 1-for-4, K
.204/.286/.323 in 105 PA in his debut season.
3B Luis Suarez: 3-for-4, 2B (2), RBI, SB (3)

RHP Mariano Salomon (L, 2-1): 3.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, HR

 

Yankees MILB 7/11: Roderick Arias Has Multi-Hit Night

News:

Catching up on the news:

RHP Justin Lange was transferred to the full-season injury list. Acquired for Luke Voit, Lange was a $2,000,000 signing by the Padres from the 2020 draft. Like many of his ilk, Lange flashes moments of brilliance mixed with plenty of frustration due to his lack of command/control of his potentially elite stuff. He is Rule 5 eligible this winter, but that is irrelevant. The Yankees won’t protect him and he is an unlikely selection.

RHP Chase Hampton and OF Anthony Hall are heading to Tampa (from the FCL) to continue their rehab stints. Hall will eventually land with Hudson Valley while I assume Hampton is destined for Somerset before his eventual Scranton debut.

RHP Yorlin Calderon, pitching to a 2.28 ERA in 16 games (27.2 IP) for Somerset, was demoted to Hudson Valley.

Scranton (48-40) (Swept in a doubleheader against Syracuse)

Game 1 (Lost, 6-5)

CF Brandon Lockridge: 2-for-4, 2 RS, K
DH Jorbit Vivas: 1-for-3, HR (5), RBI, RS, BB
Vivas’ HR in the top of the 7th gave the Railriders a 5-4 lead, but they blew it in the bottom of the inning.
SS Oswald Peraza: 0-for-4, RS, 2 K
C Agustin Ramirez: 1-for-2, 2B (1), 2 RBI, BB, K
Ramirez crushed that 2-run double to tie the game at 4-4 in the 5th. 
1B Jose Rojas: 1-for-3, RBI
LF Taylor Trammell: 1-for-3, RBI, K
RF Oscar Gonzalez: 0-for-3
3B Kevin Smith: 1-for-3, RS, K
2B Josh VanMeter: 0-for-3, 2 K

LHP Tanner Tully: 4 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, HR
RHP Scott Effross: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
A nice, clean inning for Effross.
LHP Victor Gonzalez: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Phil Bickford (L, 2-4): 0.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

Game 2 (Lost, 2-1)

SS Oswald Peraza: 1-for-4, K
2B Jorbit Vivas: 0-for-3
For Scranton: .258/.404/.424 in 169 PA. The sample size is getting larger and the numbers are solid.
1B Agustin Ramirez: 0-for-3
Since promotion: 11-for-63 (.175) with a double, four home runs and 11 RBI. He started very slow but has picked it up. He is going to hit here – I have no concerns about that.
C Carlos Narvaez: 1-for-2, SB (8), BB
.269/.388/.446 in 304 PA (17 doubles, 9 HR, 47 RBI, 45 R)
CF Brandon Lockridge: 0-for-3, 3 K
DH Jose Rojas: 0-for-3, K
LF Taylor Trammell: 1-for-2, HR (5), RBI, RS, SB (7), BB, K
RF Oscar Gonzalez: 1-for-2, BB
3B Jeter Downs: 0-for-2, HBP

RHP JT Brubaker:  1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
I am not sure why Brubaker left the game. He is rehabbing, but he tossed 2.2 innings last time and has reached four innings in an outing. Yes, I am concerned but hopefully, it is nothing major.
RHP Art Warren: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Yerry De Los Santos: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
LHP Anthony Misiewicz: (L, 2-2) 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
RHP Ron Marinaccio: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Somerset (42-42) (Lost to Erie, 6-0)

CF Spencer Jones: 0-for-4, 3 K
Not that it ultimately matters, but I thought they would keep him in the second spot after his solid night last night. 
SS Ben Cowles: 0-for-3, HBP
This is nothing against Cowles. This is more of a “That’s baseball, Suzyn” thing: Cowles goes 7-for-8 in a doubleheader and is 2-for-15 since. Go ahead – try to figure this game out. He is hitting an impressive .297/.376/.478 in 340 PA with 23 doubles, 3 triples, 8 HR, 46 RBI, 49 R, and 13 stolen bases in 15 attempts. He is positioning himself for an MLB role sometime in 2025, whether here or elsewhere.
DH Tyler Hardman: 0-for-3, BB, 3 K
1B Rafael Flores: 0-for-3, 2 K
C J.C. Escarra: 0-for-3
RF Grant Richardson: 1-for-3, 2B (18), K
Richardson is 7-for-23 with two doubles and a home run in July.
2B Anthony Seigler: 1-for-3, K
Last 10 games: 12-for-33 (.364; 6 doubles, 6 RBI, 7 BB, 6 K)
LF Jared Wegner: 0-for-1, CS (4), 2 BB, K
3B Max Burt: 0-for-3, 2 K

RHP Trystan Vrieling: (L, 7-7)  5 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
5.56 ERA (90.2 IP, 99 H, 59 R, 56 ER, 9 HR, 30 BB, 88 K). His biggest bugaboo has been lefties. Entering tonight, they hit .303/.378/.416 with 22 walks and 35 strikeouts in 204 PA. Against right-handed hitters? .242/.265/.418 with five walks and 48 strikeouts in 171 PA. Both sides have displayed power, but there is still a stark difference when looking at other metrics/numbers.
RHP McKinley Moore: 0.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Eric Reyzelman: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, HR
For Somerset: 3.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 K. This was the second HR he has allowed in his career (30.1 IP)
RHP Luis Velasquez: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Hudson Valley (41-41) (Lost to Jersey Shore, 3-2)

2B Roc Riggio: 1-for-5, RBI
.220/.362/.377 in 290 PA. He is in a little slump after a prolonged hot streak, but nothing to be worried about.
SS Jared Serna: 1-for-4, 2B (23)
Serna was pinch hit for in the 9th yesterday, but it was nothing as he was back in action today. 
RF Jace Avina: 0-for-3, HBP, 2 K
C Omar Martinez: 1-for-3, RS, BB
.239/.382/.407 in 280 PA. 
3B Josh Moylan:  0-for-1, 3 BB, K
Moylan’s first career 3 BB game. He has shown off solid plate discipline.
DH Christopher Familia: 0-for-4, 2 K
CF Cole Gabrielson: 2-for-4, 2B (11), RBI, RS, 2 K
1B Kiko Romero: 0-for-2, 2 BB
LF Nelson Medina: 0-for-4, K

RHP Blane Abeyta: 6 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K
RHP Matt Keating: (L, 3-2)  2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
4.13 ERA (48 IP, 36 H, 24 R, 22 ER, 7 HR, 18 BB, 59 K)

Tampa (30-52) (Lost to Dunedin, 4-3)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-5, 3 K
Tough nights are becoming rarer for Lombard Jr. We will toss this one.
2B Roderick Arias: 2-for-4, 2B (13), RS, SB (23), BB, K
Back-to-back multi-hit efforts for Arias. He is 4-for-5 stealing bases in his last five games. Yes, I know about his warts and have commented on them several times. He has these flashes where he shows off his pure raw talent that keeps you interested. I do not disagree with those who have lowered him in their rankings.
1B Dylan Jasso: 0-for-4, BB, 2 K
LF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-4, RBI
CF Willy Montero: 1-for-4, 3B (1), RS, K
3B Hans Montero: 1-for-2, RBI, RS, CS (3), 2 BB, K
Montero has a 6-game hitting streak (9-for-18). It has increased his triple slash from .202/.286/.337 to .232/.322/.398.
DH Coby Morales: 2-for-4, K
C Diomedes Hernandez: 1-for-3, RBI, BB
Hernandez singled in Castillo in his first Low-A plate appearance. For the FCL squad, the 19-year-old played only 14 games, going 10-for-41 (.244/.295/.244) with five runs batted in. He was called up to this level on July 5th, but this was his first game.
RF Daury Arias: 0-for-4, K

RHP Josh Grosz: 4 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, HR
Grosz dialed it up to 95.8 tonight (averaged 94.3) and mixed his three pitches well (35% 4-seamers, 33% changeups, 32% sliders). The 21-year-old owns a 5.04 ERA at this level with an 80/25 K/BB over 60.2 IP. He has allowed too many homers (9) and the walk rate isn’t ideal, but he has shown signs of dominance. Like many youngsters, he needs to find consistency.
LHP Rafelin Nivar: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K
Nivar touched 95.2 with his sinker and struck out Joey Votto. I can only imagine what kind of thrill that is for a kid.  Standing 5’10”, control has been an issue (25/21 K/BB over 24 IP between here and the FCL)
RHP Aaron Nixon (L, 2-2): 1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
4.34 ERA (45.2 IP, 28 H, 26 R, 22 ER, 1 HR, 36 BB, 47 K). He is keeping the ball in the park and striking out a decent number of hitters, but walks are an issue. Nixon pitched in big settings in college, as he pitched for Texas and Mississippi State. The Yankees signed him as an undrafted free agent, hoping to unlock some production.
RHP Ocean Gabonia: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

FCL (29-17)

Their game against the FCL Tigers was postponed due to rain. They play tomorrow but switch home fields. Hence, they have not scheduled this game for tomorrow. I do not see a makeup date.

DSL Yankees (9-17) (Lost to the DSL Tigers 2, 15-4)

SS Dexters Peralta: 1-for-5, RS, K
Peralta turned 17 today.
3B Richard Matic: 0-for-3, 2 RS, HBP
C Justin Capellan: 2-for-3, RBI, SB (4), BB
.268/.364/.357 for the 17-year-old in his debut campaign.
LF Gabriel Lara: 1-for-3, 2B (1), RS, SB (9), BB
DH Luis Puello: 1-for-4, RBI, K
.388/.492/.571 in 59 PA (3 doubles, 2 home runs, 12 RBI, 8 BB, 9 K)

RHP Luis Burgos: 2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 2 K
The 18-year-old’s first professional start.
RHP Keninson Diaz: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
The 20-year-old is in his third season at this level. He pitched pretty well last season (2.76 ERA in 32.2 IP with a 50/14 K/BB) but they didn’t move him up.

DSL Bombers (16-11) (Lost to the DSL Giants Orange, 3-0, in a 6-inning game)

CF Francisco Vilorio: 0-for-3, K
Vilorio has struggled in his first 16 professional games (.190/.254/.293 with 24 strikeouts). He does have a double, triple, and homer.
C Queni Pineda: 2-for-2, BB
.262/.458/.443 in 83 PA. He has a 22/13 BB/K

LHP Junior Tavera (L, 0-3): 3 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
RHP Carlos Almonte: 2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
10.2 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 8 K
RHP Jose Rosario: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Yankees MILB 7/5: Ben Cowles’ Big Day

News:

RHP Phil Bickford rejected an outright assignment a few days ago. Today, he re-signed with the Yankees. Veterans often do this to earn extra money on minor league deals if they can’t secure an MLB opportunity elsewhere.

Scranton (47-37)  (Defeated Lehigh Valley, 7-4)

CF Brandon Lockridge: 1-for-3, SAC, CS (3)
.293/.406/.389 in 189 PA. I can’t wait until Lockridge makes his debut – it might not be with the Yankees, but I think someone is going to give him a shot.
3B Jorbit Vivas: 2-for-3, HR (4), 2 RBI, RS, SB (8), BB
On a night when Gleyber Torres leaves the game, Vivas has another big effort. He is hitting .269/.409/.429 in 152 PA. As for his ability to play third base: The scouting reports aren’t favorable and the Dodgers scaled back his time last season. The Yankees have used him sparingly there, indicating that they think he can handle it to an extent. Perhaps a “break glass in case of emergency” type of deal. If you believe reports, if Vivas is going to make it, it will be as a second baseman.
2B Oswald Peraza: 0-for-4, K
Peraza, another option to call up, is hitting .201/.318/.236. I am a big Peraza fan. I wanted him to take over SS for the Yankees halfway through 2022. But I can’t justify him being called up. He has not earned that.
1B Agustin Ramirez: 1-for-4, HR (3), RBI, RS, K
Ramirez has homered three times in his last seven games.
C Carlos Narvaez: 1-for-3, 2B (17), RS, CS (1), BB, K
Narvaez’s strong year continues: .269/.390/.454 in 292 PA (17 doubles, 9 HR, 45 RBI, 44 R). The 45 RBI are a personal best for RBI in a season. If the Yankees move on from Jose Trevino after 2024, Narvaez is a candidate to play with Austin Wells next season. We are a while away from worrying about that.
RF Oscar Gonzalez: 2-for-4, RBI, RS, K
LF Taylor Trammell: 2-for-3, 2B (11), HR (4), 2 RBI, 2 RS, BB
DH Jeter Downs: 1-for-4, RBI, RS
I have been asked about Downs. Given his name and prospect pedigree, fun story to follow. Do I think he is an MLB difference-maker at this stage? Probably not. But players figure things out at different rates. 
SS Kevin Smith: 1-for-4, RS, K

RHP JT Brubaker: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 5 BB, 1 K, HR
Once his rehab stint is over, the Yankees must add him to the 40-man roster. The good news is that he has options. He is an interesting depth piece because he can be a starter/reliever/swingman.
RHP Duane Underwood Jr.: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Scott Effross: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
For Scranton: 4.1 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K. Yes, we want to see zeroes – but we are still in a stage where the work is the most important thing.
LHP Oddanier Mosqueda: (W, 5-0)  1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Jack Neely: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Neely needed 30 pitches to get through his first inning but was able to come out to record two more outs. Everything they ask him to do has a purpose. He has yet to do back-to-back days, but you don’t necessarily have to prove you can do that in the minors.
LHP Anthony Misiewicz: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
LHP Victor Gonzalez (S, 1): 0.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
7 pitchers were used tonight. Thankfully for them, the squad has Sunday and Monday off.

Somerset (41-39) (Won two games against Reading)

Game 1 (Won, 8-2, in the conclusion of last night’s suspended game. This one went the full 9 innings)

CF Spencer Jones: 0-for-4, RS, BB, 3 K
SS Ben Cowles: 4-for-5, 2B (22), HR (7), 3 RBI, 2 RS, CS (2)
1B Tyler Hardman: 1-for-4, RBI, CI, 2 K
DH Rafael Flores: 1-for-4, HR (2), RBI, RS, HBP, K
Flores has three doubles and two home runs in 9 games since his promotion.
LF Elijah Dunham: 1-for-5, 2B (13), K
Dunham increases his hitting streak to 13.
C J.C. Escarra: 1-for-4, RS
RF Jared Wegner: 2-for-3, RS, BB
.248/.337/.393 in 205 PA.
2B Anthony Seigler: 1-for-3, 2B (15), RS, BB
This is Seigler’s third double in four July games.
3B Max Burt: 1-for-3, HR (4), SF, 2 RBI, RS, K

RHP Trystan Vrieling: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
At least he got three innings in before the rain started. Season: 5.67 ERA (85.2 IP, 94 H, 57 R, 54 ER, 9 HR, 27 BB, 83 K). His numbers were impacted greatly by his last two starts (8 IP, 22 H, 17 R, 16 ER, 4 BB, 9 K).
RHP Yorlin Calderon: (W, 1-1)  2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
RHP Luis Velasquez: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, HR
RHP Colby White: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
RHP Joey Gerber: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Game 2 (Won, 5-4)

CF Spencer Jones: 0-for-4, 4 K
Once he starts to reel you in, he has a 0-for-8 doubleheader with 7 strikeouts. He has to move on to tomorrow. 
2B Ben Cowles: 3-for-3, HR (8), RBI, 2 RS, BB
Have yourself a day, Ben Cowles!  His Game 1 homer was hit last night, but still – 7 hits in two games is insanity.  He entered the two games hitting .289/.367/.456 and is now hitting .306/.382/.493. 
1B Tyler Hardman: 1-for-4, 2B (2), RS, K
C Rafael Flores: 1-for-2, RS, 2 BB
DH Elijah Dunham: 2-for-3, HR (7, grand slam), 4 RBI, RS, BB
Dunham has a 14-game hitting streak. His grand slam was hit in the top of the 7th (final inning) with the team down 3-1. He owns a .267 average with a .838 OPS. Before the hitting streak, he was hitting .233/.344/.411 (.755 OPS).
3B J.C. Escarra: 1-for-4, 2B (16)
RF Grant Richardson: 1-for-4, K
LF Aaron Palensky: 0-for-3, BB, K
SS Max Burt: 0-for-3, K

RHP Bailey Dees: 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
3.93 ERA (84.2 IP, 73 H, 42 R, 37 ER, 10 HR, 28 BB, 88 K). I love how he has taken to starting.
RHP Eric Reyzelman: (W, 1-0)  1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
After 16.1 scoreless innings, Reyzelman gives up his first run in 2024.
RHP Kevin Stevens (S, 5): 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
The bottom of the 7th was an adventure, but he worked his way through it.

Hudson Valley (40-37) (Lost to Brooklyn, 8-3)

2B Roc Riggio: 1-for-4, 2 RS, 3 SB (14), BB
This is the player the Yankees drafted – a pest who can play second base, has sneaky pop and can steal you a base. He owns a 21-game on-base streak.
SS Jared Serna: 0-for-4, K
LF Jace Avina: 2-for-4, 2B (22), RBI, RS, K
Avina has 30 extra-base hits (22 doubles, 8 HR) in 64 games. 
C Omar Martinez: 1-for-3, RBI, BB
DH Antonio Gomez: 1-for-4, K
3B Josh Moylan: 1-for-4, RBI, K
RF Christopher Familia: 1-for-4, K
CF Cole Gabrielson: 1-for-4, K
1B Kiko Romero: 1-for-4, 2 K

RHP Cam Schlittler: (L, 3-3)  4.2 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
2.97 ERA (63.2 IP, 42 H, 29 R, 21 ER, 6 HR, 32 BB, 81 K)
LHP Joel Valdez: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
RHP Mason Vinyard: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K

Tampa (29-49) (Swept a doubleheader against Lakeland)

Game 1 (Won, 2-1)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-2, BB, K
3B Enmanuel Tejeda: 0-for-3
2B Roderick Arias: 0-for-3, K
1B Dylan Jasso: 1-for-3, RS
CF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-3, RS, K
DH Hans Montero: 2-for-3, RBI
LF Willy Montero: 0-for-3, K
C Josue Gonzalez: 1-for-2, RBI
RF Coby Morales: 0-for-2, K

RHP Steven Fulgencio: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
Only his second career start.
RHP Cade Smith: (W, 4-6) 4 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
4.05 ERA (66.2 IP, 51 H, 36 R, 30 ER, 5 HR, 33 BB, 85 K)

Game 2 (Won, 7-6)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-4, RS, SB (24), K
.233/.362/.330 with 24 stolen bases in 27 attempts. I like what I see.
3B Enmanuel Tejeda: 1-for-1
   Tejeda left the game due to an injury. Update: Virginia Yankee (on Twitter) said Tejeda was helped off the field. Ugh.
  PR-3B Hans Montero: 1-for-3, HR (5), 2 RBI, RS, K
Tejeda’s replacement hits a huge 2-run HR in the bottom of the 6th to give Tampa the lead.
2B Roderick Arias: 0-for-3, 2 RS, 2 SB (21), BB, K
Arias is 21-for-30 in the stolen base department. He started the season 5-for-10 and is 16-for-20 (80%) since. This is the type of potential Arias has – he can be disruptive on days when he doesn’t earn hits. There is a lot of work to do, I am not going to lie.
1B Dylan Jasso: 1-for-3, 2B (20), RBI, K
LF Jackson Castillo: 2-for-2, 2B (14), RBI, RS, SB (11), BB
.256/.379/.420 in 253 PA (14 doubles, 1 triple, 6 HR, 18 RBI, 39 R, 11-for-15 SB). 
CF Willy Montero: 0-for-3
C Josue Gonzalez: 1-for-3, RBI, RS, K
Gonzalez is 5-for-10 with three RBI since his promotion.
DH Coby Morales: 2-for-3, SB (22), K
Once of the strangest stories in their system is the spike in stolen bases for Morales.
RF Daury Arias: 1-for-3, RBI, SB (6), K

RHP Gabriel Barbosa: 4 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
RHP Jordy Luciano: (W, 1-3)  2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
RHP Aaron Nixon: (S, 3)  1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

FCL (27-15) (Defeated the FCL Phillies, 4-2. This was the conclusion of a game started on June 27th. They didn’t play a regularly scheduled game today, but will play two tomorrow).

We are rapidly approaching the end of the FCL season (July 25th). The Yankees own a 2.5-game lead over the Tigers for the division title. That is the easiest path to the playoffs.

RF Anthony Hall: 3-for-4, RBI, RS
3B Abrahan Ramirez: 1-for-4, 2B (9), 2 RBI
.395/.500/.588 in 145 PA (13 doubles, 2 triples, 2 HR, 20 RBI, 28 R, 6-for-7 SB). Before you ask: Everything in the boxscore is retroactive. That is why you see 9 doubles in the box score but 13 overall!

RHP Sabier Marte: 4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
One of the most-used pitchers thus far at this level, Marte owns a 2.65 ERA in 37.1 innings with a 33/16 K/BB.
RHP Andrew Landry: 2 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
The 22-year-old was the Yankees’ 16th-round pick in 2023 out of Southeastern Louisiana. In his final year of college, he started full-time.
RHP Yoljeldriz Diaz (W, 4-0): 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K

DSL Yankees (9-14) (Lost to the DSL Bombers, 4-0)

LF Gabriel Lara: 1-for-4, SB (8)
C Luis Puello: 1-for-3
DH Diego Flores: 1-for-2, SB (1), BB
The 17-year-old catcher is 3-for-14 in his debut season.

RHP Emanuel Vargas: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Vargas is 18 years old. If you think I know much about 99% of the players here, you give me too much credit.

DSL Bombers (13-9) (Defeated the DSL Yankees, 4-0)

CF Francisco Vilorio: 1-for-4, K
DH Queni Pineda: 1-for-2, 2B (5), RS, BB
The 17-year-old continues to be featured prominently in these reports. That is what a .264/.458/.472 line will do.
2B Luis Escudero: 1-for-2, RS, SB (15), BB
15-for-17 stealing bases in 17 games. Despite how crazy that is, he ranks 8th in the league in stolen bases.
LF Angel Ventura: 1-for-4, 2B (1), RBI, RS, SB (8), K
The 18-year-old is hitting .182/.308/.212 with 8 stolen bases in 9 attempts.

RHP Mariano Salomon (W, 3-0): 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K
The 21-year-old owns a 2.50 ERA in 68.1 IP over the last two seasons (85/15 K/BB). That seems like enough for a promotion.
RHP Anthony Mena: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Richard Jimenez: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K

Yankees MILB 7/4: Jorbit Vivas Doubles Twice

News:

Happy 4th of July!

LHP Henry Lalane made his 2024 debut today. Standing 6’7″, Lalane was born in the Bronx but moved to the Dominican Republic when he was four months old (which is why he was an international signing and not a draftee). What makes him interesting? A kid his size typically has control issues, which showed up in his 2022 debut season. However, last year, he compiled a 34/4 K/BB over 21.2 IP. Don’t expect instant gratification – he has to develop a third pitch to go with his fastball/change combination (for now, the third pitch is a slider) and has yet to make his full-season debut. His talent could be that of a unicorn, but we are years away from knowing what direction he will go in.

Scranton (46-37)  (Lost to Lehigh Valley, 7-5)

2B Jorbit Vivas: 2-for-4, 2 2B (5), RBI, 2 RS, HBP
Going back to 6/13: 18 games; 21-for-65 (.323; 5 doubles, 3 HR, 12 RBI, 13 R, 13 BB, 13 K). Yes, he has found his groove and it is impressive.
SS Oswald Peraza: 0-for-4, BB, K
C Agustin Ramirez: 1-for-4, K
Last 7 games: 6-for-22 (.273; 2 HR)
1B T.J. Rumfield: 0-for-3, BB
DH Carlos Narvaez: 1-for-4, 2 K
LF Jose Rojas: 2-for-4, RS
   PR-CF Brandon Lockridge: 0-for-0
RF Oscar Gonzalez: 0-for-4, K
CF-LF Taylor Trammell: 1-for-4, 2B (10), RS, K
3B Jeter Downs: 1-for-3, RBI, RS, BB, K
.277/.382/.524 in 234 PA (14 doubles, 3 triples, 9 HR, 34 RBI, 39 R, 14-for-20 SB)

LHP Edgar Barclay: (L, 3-7)  5 IP, 11 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 3 HR
After his promotion last year, Barclay has struggled in Triple-A. Would they consider moving him back into a bullpen/swingman role?
RHP Cody Morris: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
RHP Alex Mauricio: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
1.03 ERA (26.1 IP, 19 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 10 BB, 30 K). It may not be with the Yankees, but I expect to see the 27-year-old get a chance somewhere. He is a 4-seamer, slider type.
LHP Chasen Shreve: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
RHP Ron Marinaccio: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Somerset (39-39) (Their game against Reading was suspended due to unplayable playing conditions in the top of the 4th (Somerset has a 5-0 lead). They will resume it tomorrow. This happens sometimes in the minors: The field is unplayable even when the rain stops)

CF Spencer Jones: 0-for-1, RS, BB, K
SS Ben Cowles: 1-for-2, HR (7), 3 RBI, RS
This will be Cowles’ 4th 3-RBI game this season.
1B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-2, K
DH Rafael Flores: 1-for-1, HR (2), RBI, RS, HBP
Flores has three doubles and two home runs in 9 games since his promotion.
LF Elijah Dunham: 0-for-2
C J.C. Escarra: 0-for-1
RF Jared Wegner: 1-for-1, RS
2B Anthony Seigler: 1-for-1, 2B (15), RS
This is Seigler’s third double in four July games.
3B Max Burt: 0-for-0, SF, RBI

RHP Trystan Vrieling: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
At least he got three innings in before the rain started. Season: 5.67 ERA (85.2 IP, 94 H, 57 R, 54 ER, 9 HR, 27 BB, 83 K). His numbers were impacted greatly by his last two starts (8 IP, 22 H, 17 R, 16 ER, 4 BB, 9 K).

Hudson Valley (40-37) (Shut down Brooklyn, 6-0)

2B Roc Riggio: 1-for-4, 2B (16), RS, HBP
Riggio has a 20-game on-base streak and has doubled in seven of his last eight games.  He is hitting .229/.374/.402 in 265 PA with a 16.2% BB and 17.7% K. The walks have been there all year – it’s nice to see the rest of his offensive game start to heat up.
SS Jared Serna: 1-for-5, 2B (21), RS
Serna is tied for second in the Sally League in doubles and RBI (52). 
RF Jace Avina: 1-for-4, RS, 2 K
DH Omar Martinez: 2-for-4, HR (9), 3 RBI, RS, 2 K
.238/.381/.410 in 260 PA. For Tampa in 2023, he hit .251/.367/.445. 
C Antonio Gomez: 2-for-4, HR (2), RBI, RS, K
3B Josh Moylan: 1-for-3, SB (1), BB, K
Moylan’s first career stolen base.
LF Garrett Martin: 0-for-3, BB, K
1B Kiko Romero: 2-for-4, HR (5), RBI, RS, SB (5)
.223/.357/.392 in 157 PA. 
CF Cole Gabrielson: 1-for-3, SB (8), BB, K

RHP Blane Abeyta: (W, 1-1)  6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K
A solid start for the 25-year-old. He essentially is a minor-league innings eater for the Yankees, but there’s no shame in that.
RHP Matt Keating: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
4.20 ERA (45 IP, 34 H, 23 R, 21 ER, 7 HR, 18 BB, 56 K). Keating recently had rough outings (2 IP, 4 R; 1 IP, 5 R) but has been solid most of the season.
RHP Cole Ayers: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
2.45 ERA (44 IP, 33 H, 16 R, 12 ER, 2 HR, 15 BB, 54 K). Ayers (24) is up to 62 IP at this level. I assume he will make his way to Somerset sometime in the second half.

Tampa (27-49) (Lost a tough one to Lakeland, 1-0)

SS George Lombard Jr.: 2-for-4
Lombard Jr.’s OPS briefly went over .700 tonight but ended the night at .699. Going back to June 11th: 19 games; 21-for-72 (.292; 5 doubles, 1 triple, 2 HR, 14 RBI, 11 R, 9 BB, 16 K, 8-for-10 SB)
DH Enmanuel Tejeda: 1-for-4, SB (24)
Between here and the FCL (rehab stint), Tejeda has 26 stolen bases in 46 games.
2B Roderick Arias: 1-for-4, 2B (11), K
Arias’ first extra-base hit against an LHP this season.
1B Dylan Jasso: 0-for-3, HBP
  PR Coby Morales: 0-for-0
CF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-3, BB, K
3B Hans Montero: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
LF Willy Montero: 0-for-4, K
C Tomas Frick: 1-for-4
RF Daury Arias: 1-for-3

RHP Bryce Warrecker: (L, 0-2)  1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
Warrecker was pulled only because there was a long rain delay.
RHP Osiel Rodriguez: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K
1.86 ERA (38.2 IP, 17 H, 9 R, 8 ER, 5 HR, 20 BB, 45 K). 
RHP Montana Semmel: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Ocean Gabonia: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Gabonia owns a 4.62 ERA with a 45/10 K/BB over 39 IP.

FCL (26-15) (Lost to the Tigers, 8-1)

CF Brian Sanchez: 0-for-3, SB (12), BB
1B Engelth Urena: 2-for-4, HR (3), RBI, RS, K
He has 5 doubles and 3 homers in 24 games.
3B Abrahan Ramirez: 2-for-4, 2 2B (12)
Ramirez is back to .400. Statistics at this level can be misleading, but .400/.507/.591 stands out. That is *not* normal at this level.

LHP Henry Lalane: 1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, HR
Results won’t matter for a while.
RHP Omar Gonzalez: 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K
The 18-year-old didn’t want to be overshadowed today! Standing 6’4″, walks have been an issue (18 in 18.2 IP this year).
RHP Chris Kean: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Kean likely needs his ticket to Low-A Tampa stamped.

DSL Yankees (9-13) (Lost to the DSL Cardinals, 2-1)

SS Dexters Peralta: 0-for-4, SB (8), K
3B Richard Matic: 0-for-3, BB, K
C Justin Capellan: 1-for-4, K
.255/.333/.340 in 54 PA for the 17-year-old.

RHP Luis Burgos: 3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

DSL Bombers (12-9) (Lost to the DSL Mets Orange, 9-5)

CF Francisco Vilorio: 1-for-3, 2B (1), 2 RBI, RS, BB, K
He filled in the “triples” and “home runs” columns earlier this season. He is hitting .270/.357/.432 in 42 PA with 10 runs batted in.
2B Luis Escudero: 0-for-3, RS, 2 SB (14), BB, K
14-for-16 stealing bases in 16 games. 
LF Angel Ventura: 1-for-4, 2B (1), RBI, RS, SB (8), K
The 18-year-old is hitting .182/.308/.212 with 8 stolen bases in 9 attempts.

RHP Carlos Almonte: 3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
8 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 4 K

Yankees MILB 6/27: Jorbit Vivas’ Hot Streak Continues

News:

None.

Scranton (44-33) (Split a doubleheader against Worcester)

Game 1 (Lost, 8-3)

3B Oswald Peraza: 0-for-3, RS, HBP
DH Jorbit Vivas: 3-for-4, HR (3), 2 RBI, 2 RS, SB (4)
Vivas’ third straight multi-hit effort.
C Agustin Ramirez: 0-for-3, SB (1), BB
1B T.J. Rumfield: 0-for-3, 2 K
LF Jose Rojas: 0-for-3, RBI
SS Jeter Downs: 0-for-2, BB, K
CF Taylor Trammell: 0-for-3, 2 K
RF Oscar Gonzalez: 1-for-3, K
2B Josh VanMeter: 1-for-2, BB

LHP Tanner Tully: (L, 1-6)  4 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 2 HR
RHP Art Warren: 1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, HR
RHP Scott Effross: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Aaron Boone said that Effross is still a while away. That can mean anything, but I wouldn’t expect him to be down here for too long. 
RHP Yerry De Los Santos: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Game 2 (Won, 6-5)

CF Brandon Lockridge: 0-for-3, RS, SB (25), HBP
25 stolen bases in 49 games (last season, he stole 40 bases in 92 games).
2B Jorbit Vivas: 1-for-2, 2 RS, HBP, CI
Vivas is rolling. He is on a 5-game hitting streak (9-for-20, 2 HR, 6 R) and is 13-for-33 (.394, 8 BB) in his last 9 games. If he keeps this up, he can be in the second half MLB conversation. 
3B Oswald Peraza: 1-for-3, SF, RBI, 2 RS, SB (8)
Any hot streak for Peraza would be a welcome sight.
DH Agustin Ramirez: 2-for-3, 2 RBI, SB (2), BB
Ramirez needed these hits in the worst way. He is 3-for-27 since his promotion. As for stealing two bases today? He is now 15-for-16 in that department between here and Somerset.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-4, K
C Carlos Narvaez: 1-for-3, RBI, 2 K
Last 3 games: 8-for-13, double, 2 home runs, 6 RBI.
LF Jose Rojas: 1-for-3, HR (16), RBI, RS
Rojas ties Agustin Ramirez for the organizational HR lead.
RF Taylor Trammell: 1-for-1, 2 BB
SS Kevin Smith: 1-for-3

RHP Cody Morris: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 2 K
Scranton went with a bullpen game in Game 2.
RHP Duane Underwood Jr.: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, HR
LHP Chasen Shreve: (W, 1-0)  1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Jack Neely: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Since promotion: 4.1 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K. He is a 24-year-old reliever. Anyone who knows me knows this: I am aggressive with relievers. I can’t tell you he is ready. However, how much time does he realistically need?
RHP Ron Marinaccio (S, 4): 1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

Somerset (35-36) (Defeated Richmond, 6-2)

DH Spencer Jones: 1-for-5, 2B (9), 2 K
2B Ben Cowles: 2-for-4, RBI, BB, K
Cowles has an 8-game hitting streak as he gets his batting average back over .300 (.301/.381/.482). The results are encouraging and he might be trade bait. He could be in the infield mix in 2025 if he isn’t.
1B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-4, 2 K
C Rafael Flores: 1-for-3, 2B (1), RS, BB, K
Flores’ first Double-A extra-base hit (he has 18 doubles in 59 games overall)
CF Grant Richardson: 0-for-4, 2 K
3B J.C. Escarra: 1-for-3, 2 RBI, RS, BB, K
RF Elijah Dunham: 1-for-3, HR (6), 2 RBI, 2 RS, SB (8), BB, K
LF Jared Wegner: 1-for-3, 2B (11), BB, K
Wegner has 7 doubles in his last 9 games. 
SS Alexander Vargas: 0-for-1, RBI, RS, BB
   SS Max Burt: 0-for-2, K

RHP Zach Messinger: 6 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K
3.60 ERA (80 IP, 64 H, 45 R, 32 ER, 6 HR, 25 BB, 90 K). I like to look at how young pitchers bounce back from a tough start (4.2 IP, 6 H, 5 R last time out). I would say Messinger bounced back nicely. As of this writing, his 90 strikeouts are tied for the Eastern League lead.
RHP McKinley Moore (W, 1-0): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Colby White: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Joey Gerber: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Gerber was activated from his rehab stint and placed here.

Hudson Valley (36-34) (Lost to Wilmington, 7-5. They put up five runs in the 8th to make it close, but couldn’t get any closer)

2B Roc Riggio: 1-for-5, 2B (12), RBI
Riggio has doubled in three straight games and has an extra-base hit in four straight contests (he homered in the 4th game).
SS Jared Serna: 1-for-4, RS, HBP, K
RF Jace Avina: 3-for-4, RBI, RS
His 6-game hitting streak has raised his triple slash from .267/.346/.437 to .285/.365/.465.
DH Omar Martinez: 0-for-3, RS, BB
1B Josh Moylan: 3-for-4, 2B (6), 2 RBI, K
Moylan has three multi-hit games during his 6-game hitting streak. He has raised his triple slash from .220/.357/.277 to .249/.373/.343 during the streak.
C Antonio Gomez: 0-for-2, SF, RBI, BB
LF Christopher Familia: 1-for-3, 2B (1), BB
   PR-LF Cole Gabrielson: 0-for-0
3B Brenny Escanio: 1-for-4, 2B (5), RS, 2 K
CF Nelson Medina: 0-for-4, K

LHP Kyle Carr: (L, 0-4) 5.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, HR
Carr left his last start early due to a batted ball off his ankle. I’m glad to see it wasn’t anything serious. He has tossed 17 innings in June, allowing 7 runs on 13 hits with a 17/8 K/BB. It’s progress.
RHP Cole Ayers: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
2.57 ERA (42 IP, 32 H, 16 R, 12 ER, 15 BB, 51 K, 2 HR)
RHP Matt Keating: 1 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 3 HR
Everyone has a bad day. For a reliever, it can skew their results. This spikes his ERA to 4.43 in 42.2 IP (33 H, 23 R, 21 ER, 7 HR, 17 BB, 52 K)
LHP Joel Valdez: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Tampa (26-45) (Lost to Fort Myers, 6-2)

DH George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-4, K
2B Enmanuel Tejeda: 2-for-4, 2B (7), SB (19), K
.310/.356/.379 in 161 PA (19-for-23 SB). In the FCL last year, he hit .307/.465/.458. The 19-year-old is showing he can hit. I don’t know if there will be power to tap into, but a contact guy with speed who can play multiple positions has value.
SS Roderick Arias: 0-for-4, 2 K
1B Dylan Jasso: 1-for-4, RS, 2 K
CF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-3, RS, BB
3B Hans Montero: 1-for-4, 2B (4), RBI
Montero has a 6-game hitting streak.
RF Willy Montero: 1-for-3, HBP
.250/.305/.365 in 266 PA. He has 30 hits in June (30-for-78, 6 doubles, 4 HR).
LF Daury Arias: 0-for-4, K
C Oscar Silverio: 1-for-4, RBI, 3 K
The 22-year-old doesn’t play much. It’s nice to see him contribute an RBI single.

RHP Luis Serna: (L, 2-4)  4 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, HR
A tough night for Serna, but toss it. The 19-year-old owns a 4.34 ERA in 56 IP (41 H, 28 R, 27 ER, 3 HR, 17 BB, 64 K)
RHP Osiel Rodriguez: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
2.02 ERA (35.2 IP, 16 H, 9 R, 8 ER, 5 HR, 18 BB, 42 K). The .147 BABIP is absurd but don’t let that distract you. He is pitching very well.
RHP Aaron Nixon: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K

FCL (24-13) (Lead the Phillies, 4-0, in the 4th inning. This game was suspended due to rain. They will try to finish it up tomorrow, which is when I will type up a report)

I will note that Abrahan Ramirez has a double (9) and 2 RBI. Low-A Tampa is loaded with infielders. However, Ramirez is forcing his way into a promotion conversation.

DSL Yankees (7-11) (Defeated the DSL Mets Blue, 2-0, in a 7-inning game)

SS Dexters Peralta: 1-for-3, RS, K
3B Richard Matic: 1-for-3
Matic, one of the bonus babies from the international signing class, is hitting .265/.379/.327 in 15 games.
DH Gabriel Lara: 0-for-2, RS, 2 SB (5), CS (3), BB
The only way Lara will learn how to steal bases is by repetition. He should run as often as possible.

RHP Michell Chirinos: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 7 K
12.2 IP, 11 H, 10 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 9 BB, 19 K
LHP Ronald Tejada (W, 2-0): 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
12 IP, 10 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 HR, 3 BB, 10 K. The 17-year-old is doing well in his debut season.
RHP Jesus Mejia (S, 2): 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 4 K. This is the 18-year-old’s debut season.

DSL Bombers (11-6) (Defeated the DSL Mets Orange, 6-2. Who needs to beat the Mets in MLB games when you can take care of business in the DSL?)

SS Christofer Reyes: 4-for-4, 2 2B (2), 3 RS, 2 SB (9), CS (4), BB
This is impressive at any level. Only 16, he is hitting .273/.407/.318 in 54 PA. The two doubles today were his first career extra-base hits.
2B Luis Escudero: 3-for-3, 2B (2), RS, SB (10), BB
Escudero has four multi-hit efforts in his last seven games.
CF Browm Martinez: 1-for-3, SB (10), CS (2), BB, K
.297/.364/.324 in 44 PA.
DH David Carrera: 1-for-3, RS, BB, 2 K
Only 17, Carrera is hitting .294/.444/.471. I don’t take numbers down here seriously, but the only way off the island is by playing well.

RHP Carlos Almonte: 3.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Richard Jimenez: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R,0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
RHP Chaury Gomez (W,1-0): 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
The 17-year-old’s first professional win. Congrats!
RHP Anthony Mena: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
LHP Jose Ledesma: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Ledesma is old for the level (21), but this is his debut season. 

 

Yankees MILB 6/22: Jesus Rodriguez Hits First Double-A Homer

News:

RHP Cam Schlittler was promoted to Scranton from Hudson Valley. This is likely a move for need rather than a permanent placement. Typically speaking, a prospect isn’t going to skip over Double-A.

Schlittler has put together a solid season, pitching to a 2.32 ERA (3.97 FIP) over 54.1 innings with a 56.4% GB, 31.7% K, and 12.5% BB. It is a simplistic way to evaluate, but prospects who miss bats and keep the ball on the ground are gold.

LHP Chasen Shreve is back. The lefty was signed to a minor league deal today after opting out of his Rangers contract. Most of the time, players opt out because they have an MLB opportunity. For now, that isn’t the case with Shreve, but the Yankees bullpen is uncharacteristically in chaos mode. From 2015-2018, Shreve compiled a 3.92 ERA (4.99 FIP) over 174.2 innings for the Yankees. He was traded to the Cardinals (along with Giovanny Gallegos) for Luke Voit. While Gallegos has become a mainstay in the Cardinals’ pen, Shreve has bounced around.

DH Giancarlo Stanton left tonight’s game, potentially opening up a roster spot for many potential options. The first instinct for prospect lovers is Agustin Ramirez if the Yankees want to be aggressive. Alternatively, they could promote T.J. Rumfield and have Ben Rice take more DH at-bats (Rumfield has a better reputation at first base). Veterans like Oscar Gonzalez, Jose Rojas, and Taylor Trammell could be in the conversation. Oswald Peraza? He wouldn’t be a perfect fit for this role but he is conveniently on the 40-man roster.

Outside the organization, washed-up veterans Garrett Cooper and Jose Abreu are available. Abreu has a 3 OPS+ in 2024. That isn’t a typo. Cooper, a former Yankee, hit .206/.267/.299 for the Cubs and Red Sox this season. That’s good for a 59 OPS+. In other words, no. Just no. No. No. No. No. No.

Scranton (41-30) (They are supposed to play two against Buffalo)

Game 1 (Losing, 21-10, in the bottom of the 9th. This game is in a rain delay. I doubt Game 2 is played. If it is, I will update this whenever it finishes)

2B Brandon Lockridge: 0-for-1, K
  2B-3B Josh VanMeter: 1-for-3, 2 RBI, RS, BB
DH-2B Jorbit Vivas: 1-for-5, HR (2), 2 RBI, RS, 2 K
Vivas has two home runs in his last four games.
3B-SS Oswald Peraza: 1-for-5, 3 K
1B Agustin Ramirez: 0-for-2, 2 K
Ramirez is 1-for-11 since his promotion.
  1B T.J. Rumfield: 1-for-2
Runfield is hitting .295 with a .800 OPS for Scranton.
C Carlos Narvaez: 0-for-2, 2 RS, HBP, BB
Narvaez is another potential option, but he is best off catching down here.
LF Jose Rojas: 2-for-4, 3B (1), HR (15), 2 RBI, 2 RS
As I have stated before: Rojas rarely has issues with minor-league pitching. Major League pitching is a different story.
RF Oscar Gonzalez: 1-for-4, 2 RS
CF Taylor Trammell: 2-for-3, 2 RBI, RS, BB
SS-P Kevin Smith: 1-for-3, 2B (8), RBI, BB, 2 K

LHP Edgar Barclay: (L, 3-6)  2.2 IP, 12 H, 11 R, 11 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, 3 HR
And you thought you had a bad day…
RHP Matt Sauer: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Duane Underwood Jr.: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, HR
RHP Art Warren: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Cody Morris: 0.1 IP, 2 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 1 K, HR
RHP Kevin Smith: 2.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

Somerset (32-35) (Lead Erie, 1-0, in the second inning. This game was suspended due to rain and they will try to finish it up tomorrow)

DH Spencer Jones: 0-for-1
C Jesus Rodriguez: 1-for-1, HR (1), RBI, RS
Once this game goes official, this will be Rodriguez’s first Double-A home run. Between 2023-2024, he hit 8 home runs in 81 games for Hudson Valley (High-A).
3B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-1, K
2B Ben Cowles: 0-for-1, K
CF Grant Richardson: 0-for-0
RF Elijah Dunham: 0-for-0
1B J.C. Escarra: 0-for-0
LF Aaron Palensky: 0-for-0
SS Alexander Vargas: 0-for-0

RHP Bailey Dees: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
This will be a wasted start, but that isn’t a big deal. Season: 3.80 ERA (68.2 IP, 60 H, 33 R, 29 ER, 9 HR, 24 BB, 74 K). 

Hudson Valley (33-34) (Lost to Greensboro, 2-1, in 11 innings)

2B Roc Riggio: 0-for-1, HBP, BB, K
Riggio wasn’t pulled from the game immediately after the HBP but one’s first instinct is that it is related.
   PH-2B Beau Brewer: 0-for-1
After Riggio was pulled, they didn’t turn to Jared Serna. That tells me they were committed to giving him a full night off. 
CF Jace Avina: 1-for-4, BB, K
C Rafael Flores: 0-for-5, 3 K
DH Omar Martinez: 1-for-4, HR (7), RBI, RS, BB
.238/.377/.403 in 223 PA. His personal best for home runs is 18, set in 2023.
PR-DH Nelson Medina: 0-for-0
RF Christopher Familia: 0-for-4, HBP, 2 K
LF Cole Gabrielson: 0-for-5, 4 K
1B Josh Moylan: 1-for-4, 2 K
3B Kiko Romero: 0-for-4, 2 K
SS Brenny Escanio: 2-for-4, 2B (4), CS (1), 2 K

LHP Ben Shields: 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 K
Shields sets a new personal best for strikeouts in a game. Season (for Hudson Valley – I am ignoring that emergency start he made for Scranton): 3.06 ERA (47 IP, 34 H, 19 R, 16 ER, 5 HR, 10 BB, 62 K). While he is 25, this is his debut season. I expect him to be a Somerset option when mass promotions begin.
RHP Matt Keating: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
3.46 ERA (41.2 IP, 28 H, 18 R, 16 ER, 4 HR, 17 BB, 50 K). Keating has 145 strikeouts in 108 career innings.
RHP Eric Reyzelman: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
Between here and the FCL: 12.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 21 K. For Hudson Valley: 7 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 12 K>
RHP Mason Vinyard (L, 2-1): 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
2.18 ERA (20.2 IP, 14 H, 11 R, 5 ER, 2 HR, 10 BB, 32 K)

Tampa (24-42) (Lead Palm Beach, 2-0, in the bottom of the 4th. The game was suspended again due to rain. They will attempt to finish it tomorrow, followed by the regularly scheduled game. Tonight’s regularly scheduled game is postponed. I do not see a make-up date listed. The squads do not play each other again this season, so the game may forever go away)

DH Enmanuel Tejeda: 0-for-2
SS George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-2, K
2B Roderick Arias: 0-for-1, SB (18), BB
1B Dylan Jasso: 0-for-2
CF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-2, RS
3B Hans Montero: 1-for-1, RS, BB
RF Willy Montero: 2-for-2
LF Coby Morales: 1-for-2, 2 RBI, SB (14)
C Oscar Silverio:  0-for-0, BB

RHP Luis Serna: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K
The weather cuts Serna’s start for the second consecutive time. While the stats aren’t official until the game concludes, this effort will lower his ERA below 4.00 (3.98 in 52 IP (37 H, 23 R, 23 ER, 2 HR, 15 BB, 61 K)). His ERA was 10.32 in his first three starts and 6.97 after five starts. He has been on quite a roll and is still under 20 (until July 20th).

FCL (23-13) (Defeated the Blue Jays, 7-5, in nine (extra) innings. Read below for a most unusual fact from this game)

CF Brando Mayea: 0-for-4, RS, BB, 3 K
C Edgleen Perez: 2-for-3, RS, BB, K
.280/.473/.398 in 129 PA with 20 runs batted in (he has 32 walks (24.8%) and 22 strikeouts)
SS Juan Matheus: 1-for-4, RS, 2 K
2B Gabriel Terrero: 0-for-3, RS, SB (9), BB
RF Joel Mendez: 0-for-3, RS, BB, K
DH Diomedes Hernandez: 0-for-1, BB
   PR-DH-P Santiago Gomez: 1-for-2, HR (1, grand slam), 4 RBI, 2 RS, SB (9), CS (4), K
His grand slam in the top of the 9th was part of a 6-run inning that the Blue Jays couldn’t overcome. However, this wasn’t the end of Gomez’s day (keep scrolling down!)

RHP Carlos Lagrange: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, HR
Lagrange’s 2024 debut. He has some “buzz” surrounding him (not as much as Henry Lalane, but that isn’t a knock). The 21-year-old pitched to a 4.97 ERA and 63/24 K/BB over 41.2 innings in 2023. He is 6’7″.
RHP Andrew Landry: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
The professional debut for last year’s 16th-round pick out of Southeastern Louisiana.
RHP Chris Kean: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
1.88 ERA (14.1 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 0 HR, 3 BB, 17 K). Tampa is calling…
RHP Santiago Gomez (S, 1): 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
The player who hit the big grand slam in the 9th was needed to save the game. Can you do that, Shohei Ohtani?

DSL Yankees (5-10) (Defeated the DSL Angels, 3-2)

3B Richard Matic: 1-for-3, 2B (3), RS, K
DH Luis Puello: 2-for-3, RBI, K
The 18-year-old is 12-for-25 (..480) with a pair of homers and 11 RBI.
RF Estivenzon Montero: 3-for-3, 2B (1), 2 RBI, SB (2)
Montero’s first career multi-hit game (6th game)

RHP Jorge Luna: 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 6 K
1.98 ERA (13.2 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 8 BB, 17 K)
LHP Ronald Tejada (W, 1-0): 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
The 17-year-old’s first career win.

DSL Bombers (9-5) (Defeated the DSL Giants Orange, 5-4)

C Queni Pineda: 0-for-1, 3 RS, SB (4), 3 BB
Pineda is 8-for-28 with 2 doubles, a homer, 13 runs scored, 12 walks, and 5 strikeouts.
LF Browm Martinez: 1-for-3, SF, 2 RBI, K
3B Kevin Verde: 1-for-2, 2 SF, 2 RBI

RHP Jerson Alejandro: 3 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 5 K
The 6’6″ Alejandro has a 14/11 K/BB in 9 innings.
RHP Carlos Almonte: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 0 K
Standing 6’5″, this is the 20-year-old’s professional debut.

 

Yankees MILB 6/20: Spencer Jones: 2 Hits, RBI, SB, BB

News:

OF Jasson Dominguez will miss at least eight weeks due to an oblique injury. That pushes his return to mid-August, where he will undoubtedly be rusty. He can still be one of the September call-ups, but we must be realistic about 2024 expectations. He hasn’t played much and the Yankees will likely be cautious. As I said last night, it isn’t quite a lost season but it isn’t a productive one for his development either.

Scranton (41-29) (Lost to Buffalo, 9-4)

CF Brandon Lockridge: 2-for-4, SB (22), RS, BB, K
With Dominguez and Everson Pereira out, the #5 outfield slot is there for the taking. Known for his speed and defense, he is hitting .274/.404/.363 in 151 PA with 22 stolen bases in 24 attempts. 
2B Jorbit Vivas: 0-for-1, RS, 4 BB
With Scranton, Vivas has 19 walks in 21 games (98 PA; 19.4%)
SS Oswald Peraza: 2-for-4, RBI, HBP
Many hitters never figure out how to hit in MLB. We don’t know if that will be true for Peraza. However, I am shocked at how badly he is slumping in Scranton. Unless something is bothering him, he should be crushing this level. He is at .176/.317/.216.
C Agustin Ramirez: 0-for-4, HBP, K
Ramirez is off to a 1-for-9 start in Scranton. It was fun while it lasted…
1B T.J. Rumfield: 0-for-4
DH Carlos Narvaez: 1-for-4, 2B (14), K
Narvaez continues to show off his pop (14 doubles, 7 HR in 57 games; .431 SLG). 
RF Jose Rojas: 1-for-4, HR (14), RBI, RS, K
Rojas has 14 homers in 52 games. Impressive, but the 31-year-old owns a .188/.245/.339 triple slash in 83 MLB games (2021-2022). He spent 2023 in Korea (.253/.345/.474 with 19 homers)
3B Jeter Downs: 1-for-4, 2 K
Downs has a 5-game hitting streak and is 14-for-35 (.400) in June with a 7-for-8 SB rate. 
LF Taylor Trammell: 1-for-3, HR (3), RBI, RS, BB, K
Trammell has homered in two of his last three games.

LHP Tanner Tully: (L, 1-5) 4 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 4 HR
RHP Jake Cousins: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Cody Morris: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
LHP Oddanier Mosqueda: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, HR
RHP Josh VanMeter: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Kevin Smith: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
VanMeter and Smith are veteran utility players who received an inning on the hill tonight.

Somerset (32-34) (Lost to Erie, 9-7. Everyone in the lineup collected at least one hit)

CF Spencer Jones: 2-for-5, RBI, SB (17), BB, 3 K
June: 20-for-70 (.286; 3 doubles, 1 triple, 3 HR, 17 RBI, 13 R, 5-for-6 SB). He entered June with a .641 OPS. It is now .704.
C Jesus Rodriguez: 2-for-6, RBI
Rodriguez earns his first Double-A hit. Congrats! Fans of the Patriots are getting a dose of his versatility: Third base in his Double-A debut, and catcher tonight. As for the multi-hit game, he has 22 in 58 games this season. Machine.
1B Tyler Hardman: 1-for-4, BB
3B Ben Cowles: 1-for-5, RS, SB (12), 2 K
LF Grant Richardson: 1-for-5, RS, SB (8), 3 K
DH Elijah Dunham: 2-for-3, 2B (8), 2 RS, 2 BB, K
2B Anthony Seigler: 2-for-4, 2B (10), HR (7), 3 RBI, 2 RS, BB
Seigler is showing some pop and speed this year (10 doubles, 7 HR, 11-for-12 SB) but that doesn’t mean his prospect status is coming back (.198 with a .670 OPS). Anyway, the 7 HR ties his personal best, set in 2022.
RF Aaron Palensky: 1-for-4, RBI, BB, 2 K
SS Alexander Vargas: 2-for-5, 3B (2), RBI, RS, 2 K
Vargas is hitting .211 since his promotion. By most accounts, the glove is still MLB-quality – the bat just hasn’t developed. That sounds somewhat like Kyle Holder, but Vargas likely has more offense to tap into. That said, he has to prove it. In case you are wondering about Holder, he hasn’t played since 2022.

RHP Blane Abeyta: (L, 3-6)  5 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 5 K, 3 HR
RHP Danny Watson: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HR
I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but Watson is likely still in “get back into a groove” mode after a long-term injury.
RHP Yorlin Calderon: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
For Somerset: 2.57 ERA (21 IP, 16 H, 11 R, 6 ER, 1 HR, 9 BB, 20 K)
RHP Kevin Stevens: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Hudson Valley (33-32) (Lost to Greensboro, 4-2)

LF Jace Avina: 0-for-4, K
SS Jared Serna: 0-for-4
Since being hit by a pitch and missing a game, Serna is 0-for-11. It could be a coincidence. I hope that it is.
C Rafael Flores: 0-for-4, 2 K
DH Garrett Martin: 1-for-3, HR (3), RBI, RS, 2 K
.212/.305/.372. He has hit safely in six of his last seven games.
RF Cole Gabrielson: 0-for-3, 2 K
1B Josh Moylan: 1-for-3, 2B (5), RS
.222/.357/.284 in 199 PA (5 doubles, 1 triple, 1 HR, 15 RBI, 23 R, 15.6% BB, 23.1% K).  So far, the power hasn’t shown up (.313 SLG in 24 games in Tampa last year). 
2B Brenny Escanio: 0-for-3, K
3B Beau Brewer: 1-for-3, RBI
CF Nelson Medina: 0-for-3, K

RHP Sebastian Keane: (L, 5-5) 5.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, 2 HR
Keane allowed three runs in the first inning but worked it out. Season: 5.02 ERA (57.1 IP, 55 H, 33 R, 32 ER, 6 HR, 29 BB, 55 K)
RHP Mason Vinyard: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
2.29 ERA (19.2 IP, 13 H, 10 R, 5 ER, 2 HR, 10 BB, 31 K)
RHP Luis Arejula: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
3.46 ERA (26 IP, 23 H, 14 R, 10 ER, 1 HR, 15 BB, 27 K)

Tampa (24-42) (Lost to Palm Beach, 5-2)

3B Enmanuel Tejeda: 0-for-4, RS, CS (4)
SS George Lombard Jr.: 2-for-4, 2B (10), RS, K
.228/.360/.321 in 225 PA (10 doubles, 2 triples, 1 HR, 23 RBI, 23 R, 17-for-18 SB). He is on a 6-game hitting streak and has hit safely in 9 of his last 10 games. Before this 10-game stretch, his triple slash was .207/.359/.269. His OBP has barely moved, but his SLG is up 52 points.
2B Roderick Arias: 1-for-4, 2 RBI, SB (17), CS (8), K
.209/.301/.364 in 289 PA (9 doubles, 6 triples, 6 HR, 38 RBI, 35 R, 17-for-25 SB). He has eight extra-base hits and 19 RBI in June, which is good. However, the strikeouts remain prominent.
1B Dylan Jasso: 0-for-3, HBP, K
DH Antonio Gomez: 0-for-4
CF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-4
RF Willy Montero: 1-for-2, BB
.241/.298/.366 in 245 PA (13 doubles, 5 HR, 29 RBI, 28 R, 8-for-9 SB). Entering June, his triple slash was .207/.288/.283.
C Tomas Frick: 1-for-2, 2B (9), BB
.270/.391/.400 in 138 PA. Frick is doing a nice job in his debut season.
LF Daury Arias: 1-for-3, K

RHP Bryce Warrecker: (L, 0-1) 4.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
Warrecker’s Tampa debut (he appeared in a game earlier this season for Hudson Valley). He pitched well through 4 innings but ran into trouble in the 5th. The 22-year-old out of Cal Poly (drafted in the 20th round in 2023) is an interesting prospect. The Yankees are good at converting these pitchers into something valuable.
RHP Aaron Nixon: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 2 K
3.96 ERA (38.2 IP, 26 H, 21 R, 17 ER, 1 HR, 29 BB, 39 K). He hit 95 MPH with his 4-seamer, which they should be able to work with. You don’t need me to tell you that control is an issue.
RHP Jordy Luciano: 2 IP, 0 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Standing 5’10”, the 22-year-old Luciano packs a punch, maxing out at 96 MPH with his heater. His issue? Control. He has walked 30 batters in 33.1 innings this year and 76 in 82.1 innings in his career.

FCL (21-13) (Squeaked past the Phillies, 3-2)

CF Brando Mayea: 1-for-4, 2 K
Mayea is hitting .270/.356/.303 in 101 PA, which isn’t so bad. The K% is 27.7%, borderline but not in the “red alert” zone. Another metric I like to look at is Swinging Strike %. Entering today’s action, Mayea’s was at 22.9%, which will raise an eyebrow or two. Anyway, let’s see what happens as he gets more reps.
DH Edgleen Perez: 1-for-3, BB, 2 K
3B Abrahan Ramirez: 2-for-2, 3B (2), RS, BB
Is Ramirez going to become the latest obsession? He is hitting .396/.518/.582 in 115 PA and has seven multi-hit efforts in his last eight games. That’s not easily done at any level of baseball, folks.
LF Brian Sanchez: 1-for-3, 2B (12), RBI, RS
Sanchez has 17 extra-base hits (12 doubles, 2 triples, 3 HR) in 27 games. Additionally, he has 20 RBI, 23 runs, and 10 stolen bases in 12 attempts.
SS Juan Matheus: 2-for-3, 2 RBI

RHP Hansel Rosario: 3.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K
LHP Michael Peres (W, 1-0): 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
RHP Jesus Castellanos (S, 2): 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

DSL Yankees (4-9) (Lost to the Rangers Blue, 7-1)

SS Dexters Peralta: 0-for-3, RS, SB (7), BB, K
CF Gabriel Lara: 1-for-3, CS (1), BB
When you have a speedster like Lara, you want him running all the time in minor league games as he attempts to turn raw speed into base-stealing ability.

RHP Varis Villarreal: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

DSL Bombers (7-5) (Defeated the FCL Tigers 1, 4-3)

C Queni Pineda: 0-for-3, RS, BB, K
The 17-year-old is 8-for-27 (9 walks, 5 strikeouts)
RF Browm Martinez: 1-for-3, K
CF David Carrera: 1-for-3, RBI, K
SS Kevin Verde: 1-for-3, 2B (4), RS
1B Jesus Marquez: 2-for-3, 2 RBI
The 17-year-old is listed as a catcher but has only played 1B/DH thus far (only five games).

RHP Alexis Paulino: 3.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K
Well, that is what you call dominance. He is 21 and in his third season down here.
RHP Ismael Delgadillo (S, 1): 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
The 19-year-old earns a save in his first professional appearance.

Yankees MILB 6/18: Trystan Vrieling’s Masterful Performance

News:

RHP JT Brubaker and Scott Effross will begin their rehab stints in Tampa on Wednesday.

Effross hasn’t pitched since October 2, 2022. Acquired from the Cubs for Hayden Wesneski, he pitched to a 2.54 ERA (2.46 FIP) in 2022 with a 27.1% K and 44% GB. While he isn’t a traditional “blow it past you” reliever, he does miss bats.

Brubaker is a starter acquired from the Pirates over the winter for infield prospect Keiner Delgado. Brubaker hasn’t dazzled in his MLB career (4.99 ERA/4.43 FIP), but he does feature slightly above-average GB (44.1%) and strikeout (23.3%) rates. We’ll see if the Yankees try to use him in a relief role or use him for starter depth. He is under team control through 2025.  As for Delgado, the 20-year-old is playing for Pittsburgh’s Low-A affiliate, hitting .242/.324/.411 in 139 PA. He is playing well in June (.268/.412/.561 with 2 doubles, 2 triples, and 2 homers).

As for today’s roster moves, Ben Rice earned his promotion to MLB. The Yankees will not open a roster spot for RHP Jack Neely unless it is a permanent move. Hence, I am OK with adding Anthony Misiewicz and Clayton Andrews. Both pitchers are easy to DFA once a 40-man roster slot is needed.

In Tampa, RHP Ryan Harvey and Kristofer Bow were placed on the injured list. Harvey is a starter while Bow’s turbo-sinker has been used out of the bullpen. The Tampa transactions page doesn’t yet list replacements.

As I mentioned on Twitter, the Yankees don’t have great outfield depth in the minors. If Aaron Judge requires IL time, you are looking at players like Taylor Trammell, Oscar Gonzalez, Brandon Lockridge, and Jose Rojas. Trammell has a “prospect pedigree” while Gonzalez was successful in Cleveland in 2022 (.296/.327/.461 in 91 games). Lockridge is a speed/defense guy while Rojas is a veteran without much MLB success.

In other words, hopefully, Judge is OK.

Scranton (40-28) (Outslugged Buffalo,11-10)

CF Brandon Lockridge: 0-for-4, RBI, BB, K
2B Jorbit Vivas: 2-for-4, HR (1), 2 RBI, RS, SB (3), BB, K
Vivas, who reached double digits in HR between 2021-2023, hits his first homer as a member of the Yankees’ organization (27th game)
SS Oswald Peraza: 0-for-5, RS, K
1B T.J. Rumfield: 0-for-3, RS, BB
Rumfield’s 7-game hitting streak is snapped.
C Carlos Narvaez: 1-for-4, HR (7), 2 RBI, RS, 3 K
Narvaez is hitting .251 with a .804 OPS. His personal best for HR is 12, set last year.
DH Jose Rojas: 2-for-4, HR (13), 2 RBI, 2 RS, K
Rojas has always been an offensive force in the minors, reaching 31 homers and 107 RBI in 2019 (yes, it was the PCL). However, MLB hasn’t been kind to him.
RF Oscar Gonzalez: 2-for-4, 2B (7), 2 RS
LF Taylor Trammell: 1-for-4, HR (2), 3 RBI, RS, K
3B Jeter Downs: 1-for-1, 2B (10), RBI, 2 RS, 3 SB (12), CS (4), 3 BB
A nice night (understatement) for Downs, who has performed well this season. That does not mean his prospect status is back, but perhaps he can still grind out an MLB career.

LHP Josh Maciejewski: 4 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 2 HR
RHP Duane Underwood Jr.: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Art Warren: (W, 1-0)  1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, HR
RHP Phil Bickford: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
2.93 ERA (27.2 IP, 23 H, 9 R, 9 ER, 2 HR, 12 BB, 35 K)
RHP Matt Sauer: (S, 1) 1.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 2 HR

Somerset (32-32) (Knocked off Erie, 6-1)

CF Spencer Jones: 3-for-4, 2B (8), RBI, RS, K
This jumps his OPS to .712 as he compiles his 4th 3-hit game this season. Next up is a march towards .800!  Jones is 18-for-61 (.295/.362/.525) in June.
C Agustin Ramirez: 1-for-4, 2B (14), 2 RBI, K
Ramirez has four doubles in his last six games. He is hitting .339/.359/.613 (5 doubles, 4 HR, 14 RBI) in June.
3B Tyler Hardman: 1-for-4, HR (2), RBI, RS, K
Hardman has homered in back-to-back games and has 28 homers in 85 Double-A contests.
  3B Max Burt: 0-for-0
SS Ben Cowles: 0-for-4, 3 K
Cowles went 2-for-8 in his first two games this season. That was the last time he was under .300 until tonight (.295).
1B J.C. Escarra: 0-for-3, RS, BB
LF Grant Richardson: 1-for-4, 2 RS, SB (7), K
.260/.326/.410 in 193 PA. Richardson has struggled in June, but he has hit safely in six of his last seven games.
DH Jared Wegner: 2-for-4, 2 2B (7), 2 RBI, K
2B Anthony Seigler: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
RF Aaron Palensky: 1-for-4, RS

RHP Trystan Vrieling: (W, 7-4)  7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
4.58 ERA (74.2 IP, 70 H, 40 R, 38 ER, 6 HR, 22 BB, 72 K). This is an impressive Double-A showing for a kid in his debut season. I don’t remember the last time the Yankees started a pitching prospect’s career in Double-A. 
RHP Colby White: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Luis Velasquez: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K

Hudson Valley (33-30) (Lost to Greensboro, 2-0)

2B Roc Riggio: 1-for-3, BB, 2 K
SS Jared Serna: 0-for-4, K
Thankfully, Serna missed only one game after the HBP.
CF Jace Avina: 2-for-4, 2B (17), K
After a bit of a slump, Avina has hit safely in six of his last seven games (8-for-31).
1B Rafael Flores: 0-for-2, 2 BB, K
.302/.415/.506 in 207 PA. 
C Omar Martinez: 0-for-4, 3 K
DH Christopher Familia: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
RF Garrett Martin: 0-for-3, CI, 3 K
3B Josh Moylan: 1-for-4, 2 K
LF Cole Gabrielson: 1-for-3, 2B (9), BB

RHP Jackson Fristoe: (L, 1-3)  5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, HR
3.58 ERA (37.2 IP, 27 H, 17 R, 15 ER, 2 HR, 27 BB, 40 K). This is the second time in his last three starts where he has limited walks (0 BB in 6 IP on 6/4). As I like to say, it is something to build on.
RHP Huey Morrill: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Cole Ayers: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
2.63 ERA (37.2 IP, 29 H, 15 R, 11 ER, 1 HR, 12 BB, 44 K). Expect a lot of movement among the relief prospects when the Yankees start promoting guys.

Tampa (23-41) (Lost to Palm Beach, 4-0)

3B Enmanuel Tejeda: 2-for-4, K
For Tampa: .328/.379/.395 in 133 PA. This comes with a .422 BABIP, so things will likely “normalize”. Remember that he is only 19 and performing well in a full-season league. 
2B George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-3, HBP, K
.222/.359/.295 in 217 PA. He owns a 23.96% K rate, which isn’t great but won’t scare off evaluators, given it is his first full professional season. 
SS Roderick Arias: 0-for-4, 2 K
Arias’ “hot streaks” are attributed to his athleticism. The raw skill is so high that he can live off that in the lower minors. Heck, Estevan Florial has lived off that throughout his minor-league career. He is still young and has time on his side. However, improving your ability to make contact is one of the hardest things for a hitter to learn.
1B Dylan Jasso: 0-for-4, 2 K
CF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-4
DH Hans Montero: 0-for-3, 2 K
LF Willy Montero: 0-for-2, HBP, K
Montero’s 12-game hitting streak is snapped.
C Tomas Frick: 0-for-3
RF Daury Arias: 1-for-3, K

RHP Cade Austin: (L, 1-3) 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Austin’s first professional start (he started only 3 games in college). This was an emergency start.
RHP Steven Fulgencio: 1.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
RHP Osiel Rodriguez: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
1.72 ERA (31.1 IP, 14 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 4 HR, 16 BB, 35 K).  Rodriguez hit 96.8 MPH with his 4-seam fastball tonight and generated whiffs with his 4-seamer, sinker, changeup, and cutter.
RHP Ocean Gabonia: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Gabonia maxed out at 95.3 MPH with his sinker. I look for things that the Yankees can build on. Season: 4.64 ERA (33 IP, 38 H, 20 R, 17 ER, 3 HR, 8 BB, 39 K). His BABIP is .368.
RHP Montana Semmel: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

FCL (20-13) (Won two games over the Phillies)

Game 1 was the conclusion of a game from 6/11. They won, 10-4

CF Brando Mayea: 2-for-4, RBI, RS, BB, K
C Edgleen Perez: 1-for-3, RBI, RS, 2 BB, K
DH Engelth Urena: 2-for-5, 2B (2), RBI, RS, K
3B Abrahan Ramirez: 2-for-5, 2B (5), RBI, 2 RS, K
LF Brian Sanchez: 1-for-4, RS, BB, 2 K
SS Juan Matheus: 2-for-4, 2 2B (4), 2 RBI, RS
2B Gabriel Terrero: 3-for-4, 2 RBI, 2 RS
RF Joel Mendez: 1-for-4, 2B (5), RBI, RS, 3 K

RHP Sabier Marte (W, 4-0): 7 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
You don’t see FCL pitchers throw this many innings often (his previous best was five).

Game 2 (Won, 7-6)

CF Brando Mayea: 2-for-4, CS (2), K
The power has yet to show up, but he is hitting .271/.361/.306 in 97 PA with 12 stolen bases in 13 attempts. He has eight multi-hit efforts in 21 games.
DH Edgleen Perez: 0-for-4, 2 K
.271/.457/.400 in 116 PA. He has 20 RBI in 27 games.
3B Abrahan Ramirez: 2-for-3, 2B (7), 2 RS, BB
The 19-year-old has six multi-hit efforts in his last seven games. He is hitting .382/.505/.551 in 112 PA, placing himself firmly on the list of potential promotions.
LF Brian Sanchez: 2-for-4, 2B (11), 2 RBI, RS
Sanchez, hitting .360/.457/.629, has 11 doubles in 26 games.
SS Juan Matheus: 3-for-3, 2B (6), RBI, RS
Matheus is hitting .303/.406/.461 in 106 PA. He is playing well enough to think about a promotion, but Low-A Tampa is loaded with infield prospects.
2B Gabriel Terrero: 2-for-4, RBI, RS, K

RHP Chris Kean: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
With a couple of injuries announced for Low-A Tampa, Kean is a solid candidate to earn a promotion there.

DSL Yankees (4-8) (Defeated the Rockies, 6-3)

DH Dexters Peralta: 1-for-4, 2 K
3B Richard Matic: 1-for-4, RBI
Matic is 10-for-31 (.323) with a pair of doubles and 4 RBI.
2B Edgar Jimenez: 1-for-3, 2B (1), RBI, RS, K
Jimenez (17) is only 2-for-15 but the two hits are a double and a homer. He hit the home run in his second career game.
RF Dilan Medina: 2-for-3, 2B (1), RBI, 2 RS
The 18-year-old is 5-for-14 with a double in his debut season.
1B Johan Contreras: 2-for-3, 2 RBI, RS

RHP Keninson Diaz (W, 2-0): 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Jesus Mejia (S, 1): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
In his first professional game, the 18-year-old records a save. Congrats!

DSL Bombers (6-4) (Defeated Mets Blue, 5-3)

C Queni Pineda: 2-for-3, SB (3), CS (2), K
Pineda (17) is 8-for-24 (.333) with a pair of doubles and a home run.
2B Luis Escudero: 2-for-3, 2B (1)
LF David Carrera: 1-for-3, 2B (4), RS, K
The 17-year-old is 6-for-21 with four doubles and a triple.
3B Kevin Verde: 0-for-2, RS, SB (5), BB
RF Angel Ventura: 2-for-3, RBI, RS, 2 SB (6)
The 18-year-old has 6 stolen bases in 6 games.

RHP Joshawn Lampson (W, 2-1): 3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
LHP Jose Ledesma (S, 1): 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Ledesma is 20, but this is his debut season.

Yankees MILB 6/13: Brock Selvidge Ks 9

News:

OF Everson Pereira was placed on the full-season injured list by Scranton. As you might be able to guess, that means he is done for the year.

Pereira will end the season at .265/.346/.512 (118 wRC+) in 182 PA for Scranton. He swatted 10 home runs and drove in 27. However, his strikeout rate was up (32.4%).

Injuries are a part of his story, but he accumulated 448 plate appearances in 2022 and 446 in 2023.

Pereira likely had trade value. That is no longer the case. With Jasson Dominguez‘s rehab stint over, Pereira’s value as big-league depth was lower, but you never want to lose depth.

Hopefully, Pereira can get back on the field in 2025.

Scranton (40-26) (Lost to Rochester, 5-4)

3B Jorbit Vivas: 2-for-4, RBI, SB (1), CS (4), BB
SS Oswald Peraza: 0-for-5, 2 K
C Ben Rice: 0-for-5, 2 K
So much for the Ben Rice Experiment…seriously, this is the first time he hasn’t reached base in eight Triple-A games.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 2-for-3, RS, BB
For Scranton: .305/.362/.458 in 196 PA. He is on a 5-game hitting streak (multiple hits in all games: 12-for-23).
DH Carlos Narvaez: 0-for-2, RS, 2 BB, K
Narvaez has a .376 OBP (16.2% BB)
RF Jose Rojas: 1-for-4, HR (12), 3 RBI, RS, K
Rojas has 12 homers and 42 RBI. A mostly unnoticed transaction last week was that he opted out of his contract, only to be re-signed. This likely means the Yankees offered him a little extra money to re-sign (and he couldn’t find an MLB opportunity)
LF Taylor Trammell: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
CF Greg Allen: 2-for-3, 2B (7), RS, HBP
2B Josh VanMeter: 0-for-4

RHP Will Warren: 5.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, HR
Warren was cruising along until a 3-run homer in the 6th. His ERA is still north of 7.00 (7.01) but has shown signs of breaking out of his slump (he owns a 2.81 ERA in 16 June innings).
RHP Matt Sauer: (L, 0-1) 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HR
LHP Clayton Andrews: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K

Somerset (29-30) (Bombarded Binghamton, 12-5)

CF Spencer Jones: 0-for-5, RBI, RS, SB (16), K
1B Agustin Ramirez: 2-for-5, 2B (12), 2 RBI, RS, SB (13)
Ramirez is hitting .289/.374/.569 in 243 PA (12 doubles, 1 triple, 15 HR, 46 RBI, 44 R, 13-for-14 SB). He is making his share of errors at first base, but that is the learning process. 
3B Ben Cowles: 0-for-3, 2 RS, SB (11), 2 BB, K
.314/.390/.498 in 241 PA. 
DH Tyler Hardman: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, RS, BB, K
Hardman was promoted here today. This is where he spent 2023.
LF Grant Richardson: 0-for-4, RS, BB, 2 K
C J.C. Escarra: 3-for-4, 2 2B (13), HR (3), 4 RBI, 3 RS
Back-to-back 4-RBI efforts for Escarra. Yes, I know he is a 29-year-old non-prospect. I like to highlight strong performances. As for catching, he has never done it before 2024.
RF Elijah Dunham: 3-for-4, 2B (6), HR (4), 3 RBI, 2 RS, K
2B Anthony Seigler: 0-for-3, SB (10), BB
SS Alexander Vargas: 2-for-4, RS, K

LHP Brock Selvidge: 5 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 9 K, HR
3.25 ERA (63.2 IP, 48 H, 31 R, 23 ER, 4 HR, 32 BB, 66 K). 
RHP Danny Watson: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
3.38 ERA (6.1 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K). Watson is still in “rehab” mode even if he was never on an official rehab assignment.
LHP Ryan Anderson: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
2.66 ERA (23.2 IP, 19 H, 9 R, 7 ER, 1 HR, 5 BB, 28 K). Anderson compiled a 1.01 ERA in 26.2 IP (27/12 K/BB) at this level in 2023. If he continues to perform, someone will give him a shot. This is not a knock on the Yankees.
RHP Kevin Stevens: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Hudson Valley (32-27) (Squeaked past Brooklyn, 6-5)

2B Roc Riggio: 1-for-4, 2B (8), RBI, RS, K
SS Jared Serna: 2-for-4, 2B (19), 2 RBI, K
In his last seven games, Serna has seven doubles. He is hitting .274/.375/.504 in 269 PA (19 doubles, 11 HR, 46 RBI, 43 R, 8-for-14 SB, 13.0% BB, 17.5% K). The presence of Riggio has pushed Serna to shortstop for most of the season. As I like to write about, that increases value. However, most “experts” see him as a second baseman long-term. He should get to Somerset when they start to promote players.
LF Jesus Rodriguez: 1-for-4, RS
Rodriguez increases his hitting streak to 6 (10-for-24). I wouldn’t be able to tell you if you asked me to find his fatal flaw. That said, he must prove this is real in the upper minors. That is how you get noticed for a player who doesn’t appear on many prospect lists.
DH Rafael Flores: 1-for-4, HR (5), 2 RBI, RS, K
.308/.416/.503 in 190 PA. He is 15-for-41 in June with a pair of doubles and three home runs.
C Omar Martinez: 1-for-4, 2B (7)
RF Christopher Familia: 0-for-4, 2 K
3B Josh Moylan: 1-for-4, 2 RS, K
1B Kiko Romero: 0-for-2, 2 BB, K
CF Nelson Medina: 1-for-3, 3B (1), RS

RHP Sebastian Keane: (W, 5-4) 5.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, HR
4.85 ERA (52 IP, 51 H, 29 R, 28 ER, 4 HR, 27 BB, 48 K). That may not overwhelm you, but remember that Keane was a reliever in 2023.
RHP Trent Sellers: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
RHP Mason Vinyard: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
2.60 ERA (17.1 IP, 11 H, 10 R, 5 ER, 2 HR, 8 BB, 26 K)
RHP McKinley Moore: (S, 1) 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Tampa (23-37) (Lost to Clearwater, 7-3, in a rain-shortened game)

2B Enmanuel Tejeda: 1-for-3, RS, 2 SB (14), K
For Tampa: .330/.383/.398 in 116 PA (14-for-17 SB). 
SS George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-2, SF, RBI
DH Roderick Arias: 0-for-3, 3 K
3B Dylan Jasso: 0-for-0, HBP
  PH-3B Hans Montero: 0-for-1, BB, K
CF Jackson Castillo: 0-for-2, BB, K
RF Willy Montero: 1-for-2, HR (5), RBI, RS, K
Montero has four home runs in his last six games. The 19-year-old hit .331/.389/.436 in 203 plate appearances in the FCL last season. He started slow in 2024 and is still recovering but is up to .229 with a .644 OPS.
1B Coby Morales: 2-for-2, 3B (1), RS
LF Daury Arias: 0-for-2, 2 K
C Oscar Silverio: 1-for-2, 2B (1), RBI
Silverio finally gets to the plate (he played in five games before tonight without receiving a plate appearance, pitching in three of them!)

RHP Gabriel Barbosa: 5 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, 3 HR
On the bright side, this goes in the record books as a complete game.

FCL (17-11) (Defeated the Blue Jays, 5-4)

C Josue Gonzalez: 1-for-4, RBI, BB, 2 K
3B Abrahan Ramirez: 2-for-4, 2B (5), RS, SB (4), K
CF Brian Sanchez: 0-for-4, K
He is still hitting .348/.451/.609 after today’s effort. Sanchez is a candidate for Low-A when promotions start happening. He turns 20 on the 4th of July.
SS Juan Matheus: 2-for-4, RBI, RS, 2 SB (5), 2 K
.274/.379/.411 in 87 PA. He has started 21 games, 20 at shortstop. That gets my attention. He is 20 years old (won’t be 21 until next April).
LF Joel Mendez: 2-for-4, 2 RS, K
A 21-year-old in his second FCL season should crush this level, and he is.
2B Sebastian Gomez: 2-for-3, 2B (1), CS (3), BB
RF Fidel Montero: 0-for-2, SF, RBI, BB, K

RHP Bryce Warrecker: 4.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

DSL Yankees (2-6) (Lost to the DSL Twins, 7-2)

LF Gabriel Lara: 2-for-3, 2 RS, 3 SB (3)
Lara is one of the few DSL prospects that has my attention.  Before you ask, this isn’t because I think the level lacks talent. Rather, many players at this level are interchangeable. Lara has a top-tier tool (80-grade speed) to build on.

RHP Michell Chirinos: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K
RHP Josue Silvestre: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
The professional debut for the 6’7″ 19-year-old. 

DSL Bombers (4-3) (Defeated the Phillies Red, 12-7 (12 runs, 5 hits (all singles), 9 walks, 5 HBP. I “love” the DSL….)

CF Francisco Vilorio: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, 2 RS, 4 SB (4), BB, K
Besides Lara, Vilorio has my attention because he is a bonus baby. The 17-year-old is 7-f0r-21.
SS Christofer Reyes: 1-for-3, 2 RS, SB (4), 2 RS, HBP
RF Richard Meran: 1-for-2, RBI, 2 RS, 2 HBP
3B Andry Javier: 1-for-3, 2 RBI, RS, BB

LHP Jose Ledesma (W, 1-0): 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Ledesma’s first professional win – congrats!